REGINA — The Regina Farmers’ Market (RFM) is taking steps to find a permanent four-season home.
Last week, the RFM announced they’ve launched a request for proposal (RFP) for a consultant to conduct a feasibility study to find a suitable future home.
“We have been exploring [a new home] as an organization for quite some time,” said Holly Laird, executive director of RFM.
The consultant’s objective for the RFP would be to build a framework about what a future location could look like, where it could be, and what the RFM would need to achieve to make it work.
The ultimate goal of a new permanent location is to have control over activities and planning, noted Laird.
“We wouldn’t have to worry about getting shuffled around if things do happen, like construction and whatnot.”
Construction around Pat Fiacco Plaza, which started in 2024 as part of the 11th Avenue Revitalization Project, saw the RFM move to the Regina Exhibition Association Limited’s (REAL’s) Confederation Park on Saturdays for the last two years for their outdoor season.
“We found ourselves having to move quite a few times over the last several years and having to be reactive about that instead of something that was planned or that we could foresee,” noted Laird.
With a permanent location, Laird said the future of the RFM would be in their hands.
“We can put down roots there, and we can continue to build consistency and access for customers and the public.”
2026 season plans
On Wednesday, the RFM announced that their outdoor season for Wednesdays and Saturdays will be held at Pat Fiacco Plaza starting May 2.
"We did a lot of engagement in the fall with both our vendors and … with our customers. There were loud, loud voices in support of us going back downtown,” explained Laird, for their reasoning of choosing the plaza for both days.
Laird noted some people expressed concerns over downtown safety, but she was encouraged by the work of the Regina Police Service (RPS) in the area.
In the RFM press release, the RPS noted four more alternative response officers and a sergeant have been added to the Downtown Safety Team (DST) for 2026.
Hours of operation for the DST have also expanded from 6:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.
