Destination: Riderville, Alberta.
Edmonton will be the site of a Saskatchewan Roughriders-themed tailgate party that is to begin on Sunday, 1 p.m., at On The Rocks (11740 Jasper Ave.). The event is a lead-in to Sunday’s regular-season opener against the Edmonton Elks (5 p.m., TSN, CKRM).
“We’re going to host a true Riderville,” said Eva Fletcher, the Roughriders’ Event Co-ordinator. “We’re going to put up a lot of pageantry and turn it green.”
The guests of honour will be two members of the Roughriders’ alumni — Don Bahnuik (who played for the Green and White from 1966 to 1974) and Scott Redl (1983 to 1987).
Bahniuk and Redl will play host to a fan competition — in the form of a watermelon-eating contest. The winner will receive a Roughriders jersey, autographed by linebacker Micah Teitz, and $200 toward the victorious party’s bar tab.
Musical entertainment will be provided by Chronic Rock, which will play classic tunes.
And the cost?
“Absolutely free,” Fletcher said. “Anyone can come. You don’t even have to be a Rider fan, but there will be a lot of us there, so you’d better be ready.”
The team is ready to take Riderville on the road for the first time since 2019.
Now that the pandemic is in the rear-view mirror, the 2023 Riderville Tour will also make stops in B.C. (July 22), Winnipeg (Sept. 9) and Ottawa (Sept. 22).
“We just wanted to engage our fans who don’t live here anymore, or those who maybe have never lived here, and give them that authentic Rider experience,” Fletcher said.
“We know we have a ton of fans across the country and we want to give something back to to them. This is a really fun way to do it.”
Sunday’s low, low cost of $0.00 also includes bus transportation to and from Commonwealth Stadium.
“We’re really excited about it,” Fletcher said, “and we hope a lot of people come out and have a great time.”
