Red River Ex stocks up on ice amid heat

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This article was published 18/06/2018 (2138 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Red River Ex is stocking up on ice in preparation for a hot week ahead.

Scooter Korek, vice-president of client relations at North American Midway Entertainment, said it’s been “a long time” since the Winnipeg carnival has had a year without rain.

With only some minor drizzles on Saturday night, this year’s forecast “looks pretty promising,” he said Tuesday.

Daily temperatures in Winnipeg will range between 27 C to 33 C, with mostly sunshine and clear skies into the weekend, according to Environment Canada’s seven-day forecast.

Evenings are expected to hover around 18 C, until Saturday, forecast with a low of 16 C with some clouds.

Korek said the Ex is buying lots of ice to make slushies and keep drinks cool. Sales are expected to be brisk all week, with the usual long lineups, he added.

As the temperature rose Tuesday afternoon, independent vendor Dennis Patkau was working at his office — shaped like a big, yellow lemon.

When asked how the hot weather will affect sales this week, he said: “It’s great for the lemonade business.”

Patkau has been squeezing lemons at the Ex for more than 10 years, and said it’s unusual to have sunshine-filled days.

“It’s crappy weather every year,” he said.

“Last year, the weather, it rained eight of the 10 days.”

Around the corner, Arly Irish was hiding from the sun’s rays under an umbrella by a rock-climbing wall.

“When it’s raining, nobody wants to rock-climb,” the employee said.

“When it’s really, really, really hot, nobody wants to climb. So we need sort of perfect weather.”

But 30 C isn’t too hot to affect business, Irish added.

“We’re just going to get a good tan.”

Korek said it may be a bit hotter than usual, but that won’t affect the rides or operations.

“We have water games, and we have a log flume, which is great to cool down with; that’s one of our most popular rides.”

The swings also cool visitors down, he added. “We’re made for the summertime, that’s what the midway is all about.”

To prepare for a hot day at the midway with her 17-year-old son, Joanne Marks applied some sunscreen and wore a baseball cap.

They came for the rides, she said, but had second thoughts about coming out when she saw Tuesday’s high of 27 C.

“I bought my ticket ahead of time, and if I didn’t, I think I might not have come,” she said. “It’s hot!”

Twenty minutes after the Ex opened at 3 p.m., Deborah Landon was hiding from the sun.

The child-services worker, who came to the Ex from Grassy Narrows, Ont., with five children, was sitting under a tent in the shade.

“We’re heading back at 6 p.m.; we don’t want (the kids) to be in the sun too long,” she said, while Xavier, 3, watched ride-goers as he sat in the shade, wearing a balloon hat.

Doo Doo the Clown, who gives out balloon animals and dances around the midway with a microphone yelling his catchphrase “Unbelievable!”, said he packed seven clownsuits for the 10-day carnival.

When it gets hot out, Shane Farberman, the man behind the red nose, said he keeps cool with clothing changes and staying hydrated.

“We drink a lot of water, a lot of lemon water and a lot of lemonades,” Farberman said.

As for his clown makeup, he said it doesn’t melt off in the heat; the only time it cracks is when he’s at a winter fair and it is -20 C.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie