The Saskatchewan Roughriders are excited to introduce a franchise first — a halftime show during a road game.
The intermission activities, including Gainer the Gopher and the 620 CKRM Rider Cheer Team, will take place at Mosaic Stadium during Saturday’s Rider Rally.
At the Rally, the Roughriders’ pre-season finale against the host Edmonton Elks will be shown on the basketball-court-sized SaskTel MaxTron.
Gates are to open at 1 p.m. The Roughriders/Elks game is slated to begin at 2 p.m. The Rally, a family-oriented event that is free of charge, will continue until game’s end.
A watch party, incorporating the MaxTron, has not been held at Mosaic Stadium since June 13, 2019. That evening, a double bill featured the Roughriders’ regular-season opener against the host Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Game 6 of the NBA final, won by the Toronto Raptors.
“This time, we’re going to feature the game against Edmonton streamlined live on the MaxTron, and we’re hoping to time it out so we get the feed straight from Edmonton and the audio from our own voice of the Riders, Dave Thomas, through 620 CKRM,” says Eva Fletcher, the Roughriders’ Event Co-ordinator.
“We’re hoping to emulate the (Roughriders/Raptors) watch party. I know there were quite a few people there that day.”
In advance of the Roughriders/Elks live-stream, fans can participate in a couple of special activities.
From 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Roughriders devotees can visit the team’s locker room.
“It’s an exclusive season-ticket member experience,” Fletcher notes.
“We’re going to invite season-ticket members to meet us at the Bring ’Em Out tunnel. We’ll take them through the area where the team comes out and into the Rider locker room, where they can mix and mingle with Rider players who aren’t on the Edmonton trip.
“Season-ticket members can come in, congregate with the players, ask questions, get autographs, hang out in the locker room and experience something that not many people get to do.”
Over the same 90-minute time span, fans can visit the Harvard Studio 620 Lounge and have their picture taken in front a blue screen.
The background will allow for some of the photos to be shown on the MaxTron during future Roughriders games.
“So if you want to up your chances of getting on to the MaxTron during a game day, show up to the blue-screen shoot,” Fletcher advises.
“Because of the blue screen, we can take that photo and transpose it on to any background.”
On the field, inflatables and face-painters will be available for younger attendees to enjoy.
A field-goal kicking station will also be set up so that fans can try their luck at three-pointers.
The 620 CKRM Rider Pep Band will provide musical entertainment.
Concessions will be available on the concourse.
“We’ll also have a halftime show for a Rider Rally watch party,” Fletcher says.
“Kids seven and under will be able to participate in Gainer’s Touchdown Run. They’re going chase Gainer around the concourse, out the volunteer gate behind the MaxTron, and then come out the pyro tunnels toward the finish line, with our Cheer Team cheering them on.
“We’ll have some cameras following everyone along the way. It should be a good time. I think we already have 30 kids signed up to participate, so Gainer’s going to have to run fast.”
All participants in Gainer’s Touchdown Run must sign up by visiting Ticketmaster.
For that event, the registration fee is $13, with all proceeds going to the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation and its youth-oriented initiatives.
“Overall, there will be a lot of moving pieces during the day,” Fletcher concludes. “We hope a lot of people will come out and have a great time.”
