The Queen City Ex has been cancelled this year.

The 2020 edition is the latest event in Saskatchewan to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  It was to go July 29-August 1

Regina Exhibition Association Limited President and CEO Tim Reid said it was a difficult and necessary decision to make.

“We’re a business that relies on our summer months so heavily, we operate a lot of recreational properties that break even or even lose money in the first quarter of the year and the last quarter,” Reid said. “The spring, summer and fall months for us are so important to our business, it’s when all of our major events tend to happen, and Queen City Ex, being 135 years old, is obviously at the heart of the organization we are today.”

Reid said Saskatchewan’s Fair has been cancelled for the first time in its over 135 year history.

“We held out as long as we possibly could, hoping that there’d be some positive news,” Reid said. “I think we’ve seen lots of positivity related to COVID-19,” Reid said. “We ultimately felt that we couldn’t wait any longer and that we had to make a decision in the best interest of public safety and public health.”

However, Regina Exhibition Association Limited and Prairie Mobile will be offering a “Taste of QCX” event.

Those who pre-order mini donuts will be able to drive-through Evraz Place to pick up their order along with two complimentary tickets to the 2021 QCX and a $25 in-store credit at Prairie Mobile.

The mini donuts will be sold for $6. All proceeds from the mini donut sales will go to to Regina Food Bank, with those proceeds being matched by Prairie Mobile. Non-perishable food donations will also be accepted.

The Taste of QCX event will take place from 3:00 until 5:00 on Friday afternoon.

UPDATE: Queen City Ex says their mini donuts have already sold out for Friday afternoon.