REGINA — The Kid Expo is making its return to Regina, offering youth the opportunity to explore activities and educational programs available throughout the city. The event is set for Sunday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the International Trade Centre.
The Kid Expo co-ordinator, Amanda Delparte, said the idea for the event that was launched in 2018 came from her own search for activities to get her young child involved in.
“At the time, I didn’t know what was out there and what I could get him involved in.”
Delparte knew there was a need for this kind of information for parents, so she started the expo as a “one-stop shop.”
“We started it off a little bit smaller, testing it out, and then we got such a great response from the community that we knew we needed to go bigger next year.”
Since its inception, Delparte said, many parents have informed the expo about learning new activities and getting their kids involved in recreational events.
Along with information, The Kid Expo offers large vendors with activation booths, including a school bus, firetruck and EMS vehicle.
Delparte said this could inspire kids to one day become front-line officers themselves.
“Kids are sponges. Sometimes you think back to your own childhood, and it's like, ‘What inspired me? What got me into certain things later in life? And you just never know what you're going to spark with a little one.
More than 3,000 children are expected to attend Sunday’s event, which will feature over 50 vendors.
Looking ahead, Delparte said dates have already been secured for the expo over the next few years.
“It takes time to execute an actual successful event; you really need the time. We have full-time jobs as well. So we really do this after hours, so it just takes us that much more time to get it all prepped and ready,” explained Delparte behind planning far ahead.
Delparte also wants to continue improving the festival
“Every year, we're trying to be better at it and obviously offer a few more things than we did before.”
The Kid Expo is exploring expansion to other parts of Saskatchewan.
More information on the event can be found here.
