REGINA — Victoria Park was overflowing with Regina pride Saturday as thousands of people filled the downtown core for the 24th annual I Love Regina Day.
The free community celebration brought families, newcomers, local performers, vendors and community organizations together for a full day of activities in Victoria Park and Pat Fiacco Plaza.
The day began with the I Love Regina Run and Walk, drawing more than 300 participants for 3K, 5K and 10K races before the focus shifted toward the park.
By the time the gates opened at 9 a.m., the grounds were filling with people taking in everything from face painting and a petting zoo to piñata making, tipi teachings and a massive bouncy castle zone.
Live entertainment began at 10:15 a.m., with The BrassRoots Collective among the local performers taking the main stage.
And then came one of the biggest draws of the day.
At 11 a.m., the free barbecue opened, sending thousands of people toward the burger line before supplies eventually ran out.
Mayor Chad Bachynski was attending his second I Love Regina Day as mayor and said the event was a chance to see the downtown core coming together.
“You can already hear the music, you can smell the barbecue,” Bachynski said. “Lots going on in the park here.”
He said this year's celebration was particularly notable because virtually every available space around the downtown gathering was being used.
“The entire, all of Victoria Park is filled,” Bachynski expressed. “The plaza has the farmers market. We have The Skuare this year that's filled up. We have the run that happened earlier this morning. There's so much going on for everybody.”
Bachynski also pointed to the event as an example of the momentum he believes is beginning to emerge from Regina's downtown revitalization efforts.
“I think that's what I've been proud of is that things do take time,” he said. “But I think there's a yearning to see action and see people see the results of what we've been talking about.”
A major part of that transformation was unveiled Saturday with the official grand opening of the Courts at The Skuare, a new 6,060-square-foot outdoor social gathering space at 12th Avenue and Cornwall Street.
The project represents the first phase of the city's downtown revitalization plans and added another gathering place just steps from Victoria Park.
For Bachynski, seeing people actually using the spaces was particularly meaningful.
“To have everybody come together downtown today and look at our downtown and see some of the changes that are starting to happen, I think it's really exciting,” he said.
The mayor also took part in the morning run, although his son made sure he knew who was faster.
“My legs are a little sore,” Bachynski joked. “My son definitely beat the snot out of me.”
He said the race was sold out and praised Run Regina for organizing it.
Beyond the activities inside Victoria Park, the surrounding downtown was equally busy, with the Regina Farmers' Market operating beside the celebration and additional vendors setting up throughout the area.
The day also coincided with the SaskAbilities Easter Seals Drop Zone fundraiser, giving people another reason to gather downtown as brave participants rappelled 260 feet down the side of Hill Centre Tower II.
“People will be brave,” Bachynski stated. “People braver than me will be coming down from Hill Tower 2 in support of Camp Easter Seal.”
City of Regina and Tourism Regina representatives were also using the celebration to showcase a new line of Regina-themed merchandise, including products celebrating local icons and staples such as Regina-style pizza and the Globe Theatre.
But amid the food, music, races, markets and new downtown spaces, Bachynski said the most important part of I Love Regina Day was simply bringing people together.
“It's lovely to just get to talk to the community and just see people having fun,” he told the crowd in Victoria Park.
With his own family joining him for the celebration, the mayor said the day offered a chance to enjoy the city alongside thousands of other residents.
“So it's just great to just do that with everybody and have everybody come together,” Bachynski said.
I Love Regina Day wrapped up at 3 p.m., leaving behind a downtown that had spent much of Saturday doing exactly what the event was created to celebrate: showing off Regina, one community connection at a time.
