Saturday Farmers’ Markets Return Downtown in 2026

The Regina Farmers’ Market is excited to announce that our Saturday outdoor farmers’ markets will return to City Square (Pat Fiacco Plaza) for the 2026 season. Both Wednesday and Saturday outdoor markets will operate downtown, marking a full return to our longtime home in the heart of the city.

This decision reflects extensive community feedback, thoughtful deliberation by our Board, and a renewed commitment to the role the farmers’ market plays in strengthening Regina’s downtown, local food system, and sense of community.

How We Got Here

In the spring of 2024, the Regina Farmers’ Market announced that Saturday farmers’ markets would relocate to Confederation Park in the REAL District. Ongoing Downtown Revitalization construction redirected vehicle traffic through City Square Plaza, making it impossible to safely host a Saturday market with 70+ vendors and thousands of weekly visitors.

While Saturday markets moved, Wednesday farmers’ markets remained downtown throughout the 2024 and 2025 seasons, with slight layout adjustments to accommodate construction.

At the time, the move to Confederation Park was intended to be temporary, with a clear plan to return downtown once construction affecting the plaza was complete. While broader downtown construction continues, the portion that directly impacts the use of the plaza is now finished, allowing us to move forward with a return.

Our Time at Confederation Park

Confederation Park served the farmers’ market well over the past two seasons, and we are deeply grateful to the REAL District for their flexibility and support, particularly given the limited planning time involved in the move. The site also holds a special place in our history: the REAL District, then known as the Exhibition Grounds, was home to our cooperative’s very first farmers’ market in 1975.

During our time at Confederation Park, we heard positive feedback from both customers and vendors. Many appreciated the ample parking, ease of vendor setup, and overall accessibility of the site, with some even expressing a preference for the location over downtown. That feedback made the decision about where to locate the market moving forward much more complex than initially anticipated.

What the Community Told Us

In the fall of 2025, we undertook extensive engagement to help guide our decision. We gathered feedback through customer and vendor surveys, a vendor engagement session, and a public engagement panel. Our public-facing survey received nearly 1,700 responses, with results showing that the majority of customers expressed a strong preference for a downtown home for the farmers’ market.

While vendor surveys showed a stronger preference for Confederation Park due to logistical ease, the RFM Board ultimately weighed the broader role of the farmers’ market as a community anchor and key contributor to downtown vibrancy and revitalization. Customers consistently cited atmosphere, walkability, access to transit, and proximity to surrounding businesses as key reasons they value a downtown location.

Additional initiatives will be announced in the coming months, developed in partnership with the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (RDBID), to support accessibility and enhance overall customer experience downtown. These efforts will focus on addressing common concerns related to parking, mobility, and safety, helping ensure the market remains welcoming and accessible for everyone.

To address safety directly, RFM has received a formal statement from Regina Police Service Chief Lorilee Davies:

“2025 was a year of tremendous growth for Regina Police Service’s operations in the Central District. The development of the Downtown Safety Team included the addition of nine Alternative Response Officers (ARO) and eight sworn police officers assigned to the Center Square, Downtown and Heritage communities. Feedback from the community has been very positive due to the increase in officer presence and timely response to calls for service. Additionally, the development of the Cornwall Center Downtown Safety Team office has supported our service delivery success.

As we transition into 2026, we will see further enhancements to the Downtown Safety Team through the addition of four more AROs and another Sergeant. Hours of operation have also expanded to daily coverage from 6:30am to midnight, as a result of feedback and collaboration with downtown community partners. We look forward to a year of continued engagement and collaboration with the businesses and residents of downtown Regina!”

Looking Ahead

City Square Plaza will be home to our outdoor farmers’ markets for the foreseeable future. At the same time, we continue to work toward our long-term goal of securing a permanent, purpose-built, year-round facility that we can independently operate.

A feasibility study funded through the Co-operators’ Co-operative Development Program will begin in 2026, guided by RFM’s Strategic Advisory Committee. An RFP for consultants interested in conducting this study was released on January 26 and will close on February 16. More information can be found HERE. 

More than ever, we are calling on our community to show up and support local farmers, food producers, and makers. Community feedback played a key role in shaping this decision, and returning downtown reflects what we heard about the role the RFM plays in the life of our city. Now, we invite you to help make the 2026 season our strongest yet.

Last year, we celebrated 50 years as an independent, producer-governed co-operative, and that milestone belongs as much to our community as it does to our vendors. Wherever we set up, it’s the people who come out, shop local, and support our producers who make it possible. Your support is what keeps the Regina Farmers’ Market going, and we’re incredibly grateful for it.

2026 Market Schedule

Outdoor Farmers’ Markets 
May 2 – October 10, 2026

• Wednesdays: City Square Plaza, Downtown (9am - 1pm)
• Saturdays: City Square Plaza, Downtown (9am - 1pm)
• Tomato Festival: Saturday, August 1 at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building (9am - 3pm)

Indoor Farmers’ Markets
October 17, 2026 – April 24, 2027

Following the outdoor season, farmers’ markets will return to Banner Hall in the REAL District for the winter season.