Regina Farmers’ Market reopening downtown with crowd limits, social distancing

The Regina Farmers’ Market will return to its outdoor home downtown this weekend, but it won’t quite be business as usual.

The open-air market is back for its 45th season at City Square Plaza on June 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the same hours it will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays until Oct. 10.

Holly Laird, the market’s executive director, said there are some notable differences in the outdoor experience due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ll be limiting the number of customers that are in the market area at any given time. We’ll be paying extra close attention to social distancing,” Laird said, adding the goal is to keep people six feet apart at all times.

Laird noted that the customer capacity will be “at least a couple hundred,” and will differ slightly per market day depending on the number of vendors.

“We hope to move people along fairly quickly so that everyone who wants to shop gets an opportunity.”

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Vendor booths will also be spaced further apart from each other.

All visitors must enter through a single entrance located at the corner of Lorne Street and 12 Avenue, across from the Regina Public Library Central and Children’s Branch.

“There may be a queue depending on how many folks are in the market at that time, but we hope to move people along fairly quickly so that everyone who wants to shop gets an opportunity,” she said.

Laird pointed out that some of the beloved features of the market, such as live entertainment, can’t happen in accordance with provincial public health guidelines.

Customers won’t be able to sit down, either, as the market won’t have its usual seating areas.

“Come visit with our vendors, get all the products that you’re used to picking up, but instead of meeting or gathering here, we just ask that you leave after you’re done shopping,” Laird said.

The market will ask any customers or vendors presenting with cold, flu or COVID-19 like symptoms to leave immediately.

The Regina Farmers’ Market online store will continue to operate in conjunction with the outdoor experience.

The non-profit organization pivoted to digital sales when the global pandemic forced them to close the in-person market temporarily in March.

Online ordering opens each week on Mondays at noon and closes on Thursdays at noon.

1:34 Coronavirus: Regina Farmers Market hopes to reopen ahead of phased plan