Edmonton's Capital EX

Edmonton's Capital EX, formerly known as Klondike Days or K-Days, is an annual 10-day exhibition held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada usually near the end of July. It runs in conjunction with A Taste of Edmonton. The exhibition is held at Northlands, formerly Northlands Park, south of Rexall Place.

History

1879Edmonton Agricultural Society organized the first local exhibition on the original Fort Edmonton site on October 15. This was the first event of its kind ever held in what was then known as the North-West Territories. Edmonton's first fair showcased locally produced livestock, grain, vegetables, and handiwork and attracted 500 people.

1893Edmonton's first spring exhibition.

1899Exhibition ground relocated to Rossdale Flats (now Telus Field).

1902
Dominion Day celebration and summer exhibition held jointly.

1903First parade to promote Edmonton's fair. The fair did not organize a community parade in the 1930s and 1940s.

1904The exhibition, ever gaining in popularity exceeds 20,000 attendees (5,200 on opening day) and relocates to its current site. In 1912, it was extended to six days. It continued to be held through the First World War, even though the facilities were at the disposal of the Canadian Army. A similar arrangement was made during the Second World War, though this time with the Royal Canadian Air Force. 1962 Brought about the name Klondike Days, with the theme revolving around the Klondike Gold Rush. The public embraced the theme with relish, dressing up in period costumes for the Klondike Days opening parade.Fact|date=February 2007

2004The 125th anniversary of the first exhibition hosted by Northlands Park. Klondike Days Parade themed to celebrate the City of Edmonton's 100th anniversary

2005The fair attendance continued to climb upward, breaking the 800,000 attendance mark in 2005. In 2006, attendance fell to 688,369, which was the year the name of the exhibition was changed to Capital EX.

2006The exhibition's new name was unveiled as "Capital EX". Initially this was met with both protest and excitement from citizens. Some felt a name change was unnecessary, while others felt it was time to drop "traditional themes" citing that there was no longer an interest in dressing up in Klondike-themed clothing during the week long exhibition.

2007 Attendance goes up by almost 100,000 with a total of 772,692 attendees from 2006.

2008 For the first time since 1879, the Capital EX attendance numbers are being withheld by Northlands due to an agreement with the Indy Racing League, causing some controversy by the public. [ [http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/features/festivals/story.html?id=04bfefec-f5ac-4ca1-a650-89e742f646d4 Capital Ex attendance confidential] ] On July 30, Northlands released the attendance figures showing a total of 743,374 attendees, a drop of almost 30,000 from 2007. [ [http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/features/festivals/story.html?id=da18d0c3-3631-4dcf-98e2-a6cfd9b5e4c3 Capital Ex attendance figures released] ]

Name change

Initial controversy over the change in name from Klondike Days to Capital EX. [CBC.ca [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2006/07/31/klondike-capex.html What's in a name? Capital Ex less popular than Klondike Days – July 31, 2006] ]

“When we rebranded our summer exhibition two years ago and introduced Capital EX we knew it was so much more than a name. It was about the programming and the opportunity to showcase the best of the region and the province,” says Ken Knowles, President of Northlands. “This recognition from the tourism industry is particularly gratifying as it reinforces our ongoing efforts through Capital EX to continue to celebrate our province and to build Alberta pride.” [Travel Alberta [http://industry.travelalberta.com/details.cfm?ID=2970&subsection=Alto&title=2007%20Alberta%20Tourism%20Awards%20Announced 2007 Alberta Tourism Awards Announced – October 29, 2007] ]

2008 events

The 2008 Capital EX took place July 17-26 and featured:
*Birdhouse Factory: A performance where circus acrobatics and early 20th century machines come together.
*Ed Fest: A nightly music festival where 8,000 fans will enjoy great bands each night.
*Family Fun Town: An interactive village-like area with displays, activities, and rides for children.
*Fun Town Farm: An agricultural education exhibit where children became farm hands and experienced the beginning at the farm and the end at the market.
*Global Connections: International marketplace with exhibits of shopping, food and entertainment from a variety of countries around the world.
*Northwest Originals: Trade show with hundreds of exhibitors featuring unique hand-crafted items that showcase Western Canadian talents.
*The Shop Zone: Featuring more than 300 exhibits with unique products and services.
*SIP! The Wine & Food Experience: An upscale food and beverage show.
*Spirit of the Butterfly: An exhibit featuring more than 20,000 butterflies from 15 countries around the world.

ee also

*Festivals in Alberta

References

External links

* [http://www.capitalex.ca/ Official website of Capital EX]
* [http://www.northlandsmemories.com/ Northlands Historical Website]
* [http://www.northlands.com/documents/NRAltoAward.pdf News Release – October 30, 2007 – Edmonton’s Capital EX wins Alberta Pride Award (ALTO)]