In just a year’s time, Regina’s beloved Farmers’ Market will be in need of a new home.
Beginning in 2024, road construction in downtown Regina will push the market from its usual home on Pat Fiacco Plaza for an estimated three years.
The market has been held there for nearly 50 years.
The construction will take place on 11th avenue and will see the road completely dug up from Broad Street to Albert Street, meaning the only access to Cornwall Street will be from the Pat Fiacco Plaza.
Holly Laird, the executive director of the Regina Farmers’ Market, said the news has been difficult to break to its vendors.
“I mean they’re not thrilled about it obviously folks don’t necessarily love change all the time and it’s a big one right,” Laird said when describing the feeling from vendors. “We have over 100 vendors who run their businesses through the Regina Farmers’ Market, and it makes up a large part of their incomes.”
One of those vendors is Ponziamo Aluma, who has had his spring roll business at the market for roughly five years. He’s worried the change in location won’t provide the same experience as being on the Plaza.
“The (Plaza) where it has been is perfect you know?” Aluma explained “It is a public place with a lot of parking and it is very central. Nobody’s going to be able to find something to replace that.”
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The Regina Farmers’ Market has posted a request for proposals (RFP) for a new summer location starting in May 2024, that they can use to host the market on Wednesdays and Saturdays between May and October.
Laird said the search for a new location won’t be easy as there are many different aspects that go into a large market.
“The infrastructure that we need to run a market isn’t necessarily available in a lot of places around town but we’re hopeful that with enough time here now to look into other options we’ll find something that will be really great for us,” Laird said.
No matter where the market ends up, many vendors such as Dawn Hicks with Riverview Sausage will be sure to follow.
“I don’t know where it’ll be but I’m sure I’m sure it will be somewhere nice and then we will look forward to going back to downtown,” Hicks said.
For now, the market will kick off its final summer on the Plaza for a long time on May 6, 2023.
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