K-Days, formerly known as the Edmonton Exhibition, Klondike Days, and the Capital Ex, is an annual 10-day exhibition held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada mostly in late July. In recent years it has attracted between 700,000-800,000 visitors per year. It runs in conjunction with A Taste of Edmonton and - from 2006 through 2012 - the Edmonton Indy. The exhibition is held at the grounds of Edmonton Expo Centre. K-Days begins five days after the Calgary Stampede, making it end on the Sunday of July's last weekend.
Name
The fair was originally named the Edmonton Exhibition from its founding in 1879 until 1964, when it was renamed Klondike Days. The name change coincided with the introduction of the kitsch theme associated with the 1890s and the Klondike Gold Rush. The gold rush had taken place several hundreds of miles to the northwest. Edmonton was a stopping point for prospectors headed to the Yukon Territory on the "all-Canadian overland route". The name was changed to Capital Ex, in 2006. There was some controversy over the change in name from Klondike Days, with many locals continuing to refer to the exhibition as Klondike Days or K-Days. Ken Knowles, President of Northlands, explained that the rebranding "... was so much more than a name. It was about the programming and the opportunity to showcase the best of the region and the province". The name change was recognized at the 2007 Alberta Tourism Awards, where Knowles stated "This recognition from the tourism industry is particularly gratifying as it reinforces our ongoing efforts through Capital Ex to continue to celebrate our province and to build Alberta pride." Before the 2012 event, Northlands announced that the Capital Ex name would be retired, and a new name would be chosen by public vote. Event goers chose K-Days from the six names offered. The new name for the fair was announced on July 29, 2012. The original Klondike Days name was not one of the six options available. Some fans of the event's previous name, Klondike Days, have stated that the name change to Capital Ex was a poor decision due to the region's history. Many feel that the event being renamed back to K-Days, by the overwhelming majority of the vote, shows just how much of a mistake the initial name change was.
History
The Edmonton Agricultural Society organized the first local exhibition on the original Fort Edmonton site on October 15, 1879. This was the first event of its kind held in what was then known as the North-West Territories. Edmonton's first fair showcased locally produced livestock, grain, vegetables, and handiwork and attracted 500 people. Calgary and Saskatoon soon started their own exhibitions in 1886 with Regina following in 1894. In 1893, the organization held the city's first spring exhibition, and in 1899, the exhibition grounds were relocated to Rossdale Flats. By 1904, the exhibition's attendance exceeded 20,000. The first parade to promote the fair was held in 1903. However, the fair did not organize a community parade in the 1930s and 1940s. The fair was relocated to its current site in Northlands in 1910. In 1912, 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 Royal Canadian Air Force. The exhibition was renamed "Klondike Days" in 1962, 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. In 2004, Northlands Park celebrated the 125th anniversary of the fair. The Klondike Days Parade's theme commemorated the City of Edmonton's 100th anniversary in that year. Fair attendance continued to climb, breaking the 800,000 attendance mark in 2005. However, in 2006, attendance fell to 688,369, coinciding with the year that the name of the exhibition was changed to "Capital EX". The change was met with both protest and excitement from citizens. Some felt a name change was unnecessary, while others felt it was time to drop "traditional themes" citing that there was no longer an interest in dressing up in Klondike-themed clothing during the week-long exhibition. Northlands decided not to release the 2008 attendance numbers due to an agreement with the Indy Racing League. However, Northlands changed its decision and released the attendance figures showing a total of 743,374 attendees, a drop of almost 30,000 from the previous year. In 2009 the attendance dropped again, by more than 25,000, to a total of 717,966, but rebounded again by 4% in 2010 to 747,660. In 2011 the attendance had risen to 713,546 and the following year the fair had attracted 747,660 visitors. In 2014, 740,840 people attended K-Days and sales totalled over $100 million. In 2015, 785,290 attended, the highest in the past10 years. In 2017, despite the weather, 816,000 people had attended K-Days. In 2018, even though the fair began with anti-abortion and animal rights protests, K-Days managed to attract as many as 808,009 people. In February 2020, the United Conservative Party government announced cuts to provincial funding for both K-Days and the Calgary Stampede as part of the 2020 budget. On February 28, 2020, Northlands announced that the K-Days parade would not take place, citing "current fiscal realities", declines in attendance, and a desire to invest in more "on-site" programming. In April 2020 K-Days announced the cancellation of that summer's event due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
