Edmonton's Capital EX

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The logo for Edmonton's Capital EX 2006

Edmonton's Capital EX is an annual 10-day exhibition that is located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is usually held near the end of July and is run in conjunction with the Taste of Edmonton.

The exhibition is held at Northlands, formerly Northlands Park, south of Rexall Place.

1 History
2 Name change
3 2006 event
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

The exhibition began in 1879, when the Edmonton Agricultural Society held a farm fair on the site of the first Fort Edmonton. It displayed many different farm goods, like lifestock and garden produce, developed by people from surrounding areas. The number of entries was pegged at 500. In 1899, the fair was moved to Rossdale Flats (where Telus Field now stands), and in 1901 it became a summer event.^[1]

The exbibition, ever gaining in popularity (it exceeded 20,000 attendees in 1904^[1]) relocated to its current site. In 1912 the 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 Canadian Air Force.^[1]

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.^{[citation needed]}

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

[edit] Name change

Controversy has built up over the change in name from Klondike Days to Capital EX.^[2]

[edit] 2006 event

Capital EX was held July 20 - 29th, 2006 and featured new shows including:

Ed Fest- A 10-day rock festival where 8,000 fans enjoy great bands each night.
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.
McCain Family Fun Town- A interactive village-like area with displays, activities, and rides for children.
Fun Town Farm- A agricultural education exhibit for kids to become farm hands and to experience the beginning at the farm and ending at the market.