REGINA — If you are looking for a reason to love Regina this weekend, you will not have to look very far.
Victoria Park will become the centre of a citywide celebration Saturday, Aug. 22, as I Love Regina Day returns with free activities, live entertainment, local organizations, food and plenty of ways for residents to celebrate the city they call home.
Running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the annual event has been bringing residents together since 2002, highlighting the people, culture, organizations and community spirit that make the Queen City unique.
"I Love Regina Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate everything that makes our city special: our people, our local talent and our strong sense of community," said Mayor Chad Bachynski. "Victoria Park will come alive with fun activities, entertainment and opportunities to connect with one another. I encourage residents and visitors alike to join us downtown for a day of fun as we celebrate the spirit of Regina."
But the celebration starts before the park opens.
At 8:30 a.m., runners, walkers and wheelchair users will take over Cornwall Street for the annual I Love Regina Run and Walk.
Organized in partnership with Run Regina, the event offers accessible 3K, 5K and 10K routes for people of different ages and abilities. Participants will finish in Victoria Park and can then move straight into the day's festivities.
By 9 a.m., Victoria Park and the Regina Farmers' Market will be open, with a new Kids & Family Fun Zone adding another layer of activity to the celebration.
Children can take on an inflatable ninja course, get their faces painted, experience cultural teepee teachings and meet animals at a petting zoo.
The park will also be filled with more than 50 community organizations showcasing local programs, services, arts, culture and recreation.
Regina Fire & Protective Services will be among the exhibitors, giving families an opportunity to get a closer look at some of the equipment and services used to keep the city safe.
The main stage entertainment begins at 10:15 a.m. on Pat Fiacco Plaza, featuring performances from local artists before Regina's The BrassRoots Collective takes the stage as the headline act.
There will also be a free community barbecue from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with food available while supplies last.
Visitors can take part in a collaborative tile-painting art project, explore the community displays, enjoy giveaways and browse I Love Regina merchandise near the Information Tent.
The event is designed to celebrate more than just a single day.
I Love Regina Day began as a City of Regina initiative through the mayor's office, inspired by the famous "I Love New York" campaign and the idea that civic pride could help strengthen a city's identity.
The first celebrations included activities such as a family skate and a Regina Pats hockey game.
By 2007, the event had moved into Victoria Park, where live entertainment and the popular free community barbecue helped transform it into the summer festival residents know today.
And this year's celebration is not the only major event happening downtown Saturday.
Just steps from Victoria Park, the Easter Seals Drop Zone will be sending people over the edge of Hill Centre Tower II at 1881 Scarth Street.
Beginning at 8 a.m., participants will rappel 21 storeys, approximately 260 feet, down the side of the downtown skyscraper.
Some will make the descent dressed as superheroes, turning the skyline into an unusual stage for a major fundraising effort.
The final rappeller is scheduled to descend at 4:15 p.m., meaning the action will continue throughout the same hours as I Love Regina Day.
Two Harvard Media employees will also be taking the plunge at 9:30 a.m.: SaskToday reporter Denis Conroy and Harvard Media receptionist/administrative assistant Rahma Mohammed.
All money raised through the Drop Zone supports essential SaskAbilities programs, including Camp Easter Seal, Adaptive Technology Services and Summer Fun programs that help create greater independence and opportunities for people experiencing disabilities.
Since the Regina Drop Zone began in 2007, the event has raised more than $2 million for the cause.
So while one event will have people celebrating Regina from the ground, another will have people looking down on the city from 260 feet above it.
For families attending I Love Regina Day, organizers have also made accessibility a priority.
Accessible parking is available beside Victoria Park on Scarth Street and Lorne Street, as well as nearby on Victoria Avenue and 12th Avenue.
Accessible portable toilets will be available in the park, while permanent accessible washrooms with change tables and flushable toilets can be found at the plaza kiosk in the north-west corner of the park and inside Regina Public Library.
The library will also provide air conditioning and quiet spaces for anyone who needs a break from the activity.
Shaded tent spaces will be available in the Kids' Bouncy Zone, and free water bottle refill stations will be located at the northeast and northwest corners of Victoria Park.
There will even be a dog bowl at the northeast water station for four-legged visitors.
Taken together, the two events promise to make Saturday one of the busiest days of the summer in downtown Regina.
