It’s the game everyone has been waiting for: the first time the Saskatchewan Roughriders play on the new field at Mosaic Stadium.
“It seemed so far away, and so now that it’s just a day away, it’s surreal, it’s exciting. We cannot wait,” Miriam Johnson, Saskatchewan Roughriders marketing director, said.
The kickoff for the pre-season game between the Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
“We’re going to have a packed house here,” Paula Kohl, Regina Exhibition Association’s marketing director, said.
Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and fans will need to clear security. Selfie sticks, umbrellas and oversized backpacks are just some of the things banned by security. To get in quickly, officials recommend leaving bags at home.
“We do have an express line as well. If you don’t have a bag, just go right through, and they’ll scan your ticket and you’re right in,” Johnson said.
Your ticket for the game will get you on any city bus or stadium shuttle for free.
Departure points for the stadium shuttle include Southland Mall, Northgate Mall, Victoria Square Mall and Normanview Crossing. There will be downtown stops eastbound on Saskatchewan Drive at Hamilton Street, and westbound on Victoria Avenue at Scarth Street.
There will also be a free bike valet at the southwest corner of Confederation Park, just west of gate one.
Parking is by permit only.
“When people are coming to park onsite at Evraz Place, they need to enter through the Lewvan Drive gate only, and they’ll have to have their parking pass clearly displayed in the vehicle,” Kohl said.
Road restrictions along Elphinstone and in the neighbouring area will start at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
The new pre-game fan fest at Confederation Park won’t be open until Canada Day, but once the game starts, there is a party section.
“That section we actually call Pil Country. That is five levels of standing room. It’s a 19 plus area so we really designed that area for people to move and actually go and converse and just be able to be joining with friends,” Johnson said.
There is still some construction, mostly in concession kitchens, so not everything will be open yet, Kohl said.
“Although it’s a pre-season game, and it’s one that everyone knows is one of those trials before the grand opening, I think that it’s just excitement, it’s anticipation, it’s the first opportunity to get in here,” Johnson said.
Officials recommend arriving at least an hour before kickoff to beat the rush and to leave enough time to find your new seats.
More than 31,000 tickets for the game have already been sold.