Unique festival returns for a third year to downtown core in Mississauga

A unique festival that features talented skateboarders, rock climbers and breakdancers displaying their best moves for tens of thousands of fans takes place over three days this weekend in Mississauga’s downtown core.

The Jackalope Action Sports Festival, a Montreal-based exhibition of skateboarding, bouldering (rock climbing), breaking (breakdancing) and more that tours North America throughout the year, returns to the city for its third consecutive summer.

The action gets underway Friday at noon and continues throughout the weekend, concluding Sunday at 8 p.m. Admission is free.

City of Mississauga officials said the “adrenaline-filled weekend in the heart of the city” will feature “elite athletes, action sports competitions, live entertainment, food and festival experiences for residents and visitors of all ages.”

Organizers will transform the Square One Shopping Centre parking lot into “an outdoor sports event venue featuring world-class skateboarding, BMX, calisthenics, Moto X demos, food, music, pop-up activations and more,” the city added, noting visitors of all ages can participate as a climbing wall, a mini ramp and a mini-skatepark are also part of the fun.

(Photo: Jackalope Action Sports Festival)

The Jackalope festival has taken place the past two years at Celebration Square, a few steps to the west of this year’s venue.

However, the ongoing FIFA World Cup watch party at the square necessitated moving the action sports festival this year, the city said. World Cup quarter-final matches will be shown on the Celebration Square screens on Friday and Saturday.

Jackalope fans have their own lingo

A crooked grind, boardslide, brain bucket and double set are just a few terms visitors to the Jackalope festival might use and hear over the three days. You can add to that list an alley-oop, goofy-foot, 180, 360 and 720 as well as an air walk — and those bits of action sports lingo are just a few you’ll find at the top of the alphabet. There are many more.

Jackalope organizers have previously said the festival “is about way more than just skateboarding and climbing,” and that the event will transform Mississauga’s downtown core “into a full-throttle playground where adrenaline, music and street culture collide.”

City officials noted this year’s festival street course is designed to look like an airport runway.

Shoutout to Toronto Pearson Airport 

“With fun details such as a baggage carousel, airport-themed obstacles and a large departure board, the course is a playful nod to Canada’s largest and busiest airport, YYZ, located in Mississauga,” officials said. (YYZ is the International Air Transport Association code for Toronto Pearson Airport).

Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish said in a news release issued by the city that Jackalope “brings incredible energy to Mississauga and gives residents and visitors a front-row seat to world-class action sports.

“Events like this bring our downtown alive, support our local economy and show why Mississauga is a destination for unforgettable experiences.”

The city added it encourages festival attendees to plan ahead and arrive early as the downtown core is expected to be busy throughout the weekend.

Jackalope’s three-day visit to the city in summer 2024 marked the event’s first appearance in Ontario.