Evraz Place will be the place to be in Canada this November when the Grey Cup returns to Regina as the CFL’s championship game will be played for the first time at Mosaic Stadium.
On Friday, the Riders let us know some of what will be planned for the Grey Cup festival which will be done entirely on “the campus” as REAL President and CEO Tim Reid calls the area.
The outdoor space west of Mosaic Stadium including Confederation Park and the lot southwest of it, will come alive during the NexGen Street Festival providing a little something for everyone. Fans can expect free and exciting activities for all ages, interactive and “instagrammable” installations, food and music from morning until night. Specific details about the NexGen Street Festival will be revealed in the coming months.
Saskatchewan Roughriders President and CEO Craig Reynolds getting set to announce details around the Grey Cup Festival coming up in November #yqr #sask #GreyCup2020 pic.twitter.com/UFM9jM7Ozw
— Ryan McNally (@RyanE_McNally) February 28, 2020
The Grey Cup Festival is also pleased to play host to the first-ever League of Legends Canadian Nationals Esport Tournament during the 2020 Grey Cup Festival, with help from Saskatchewan-based SKL Esports.
“Technology is a huge focus for us as we plan the 2020 Grey Cup Festival,” said Grey Cup Festival Executive Director Mike Edwards. “League of Legends, is the largest and most popular Esports game in the world. The tournament will help engage a new generation of fans with the Festival that may not have attended before.”
CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said he feels the bid was so strong it could have won an Olympics.
“The innovation, the energy, whole idea of this one-destination Grey Cup was so powerful,” Ambrosie said. “Your legendary volunteerism and all of those things leave us feeling pretty good about Grey Cup 108.”
Riders President and CEO Craig Reynolds said there’s always pressure with hosting a Grey Cup in Saskatchewan.
“I will say we have incredible volunteers who are incredibly committed, the plans are outstanding, we’re still finalizing a lot of them, we’ll have a lot of future announcements,” Reynolds said. “It is going to be big, just think of the street festival here on the grounds, 415,000 ft² of activation space, we’re going to have some really big activations.”
Additional details on all of these events, important dates and frequently asked questions about the Festival are all available at greycupfestival.ca which officially launched today. Fans wishing to purchase Grey Cup tickets can get immediate access by purchasing 2020 Roughrider season tickets. Single seats for the game open to the public on June 16, while Grey Cup Festival tickets are expected to go on sale in mid to late June.
Another key component of the festival will be the Richardson Pioneer Community Celebration Tour.
Six Saskatchewan communities will be awarded $25,000 to help with a program, asset or infrastructure need in their hometown aligned with health, wellness and active living.
Small- to medium-sized communities are invited to apply and the public will vote for the winners, which alongside their cash prize will also receive support to host a mini-Grey Cup party in their community to further help the town’s fundraising efforts.
The festival will open on Tuesday, November 17 and run all the way through until the day of the 108th Grey Cup which is Sunday, November 22.
