Saskatchewan Roughrider fans have waited over seven months for football action to return to Mosaic Stadium and it’ll be here before fans know it. Monday, May 20th at 2pm, the Riders will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who came up short in the 2023 Grey Cup against Montreal and former Riders quarterback Cody Fajardo. There is a lot of optimism in the air this upcoming season thanks to a new, young coach, a revamped offence, a healthy quarterback, and new player signings.

Monday’s pre-season game is all about celebrating new Canadians and the many cultures that make up Rider nation. The Coors Light Party in the Park will feature the Mariachi Latino Band, which formed in Regina in 2021. The band was started by Ana Hernandez as a way to share their native Mexican music and, today, consists of five men, five women, and a young man on the violin.

Just before the game starts on Monday, a Canadian citizenship ceremony will take place on the field to welcome the newest Canadians and the newest Rider fans. Halftime will include performances from the Yevshan Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and the Zabutnyy Dance Company. After the game, fans are encouraged to walk down onto the field and see what Mosaic Stadium looks like from field level.

The first pre-season game starts at 2pm on Monday, while the second pre-season game sees the green and white travel to Edmonton on Saturday, May 25th at 2pm. The CFL regular season will kick off on Thursday, June 6th as 2023 Grey Cup rivals Montreal Alouettes and Winnipeg Blue Bombers clash at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg at 6:30pm. Saskatchewan’s first regular season game will be on June 8th in Edmonton.