REAL District braces for busy Saturday, here’s what visitors need to know

As multiple events are slated to take over the REAL District this Saturday, those visiting the area are being encouraged to find other ways of travelling there – to avoid parking mayhem.

Events and parking options

The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be taking on the Montreal Alouettes at 5 p.m., with on-site parking by permit only. Parking on North Railway between Elphinstone Street and Albert Street is also by permit only and passes must be displayed.

On-site, paid parking for the game starts at 2 p.m. and ends at 6 p.m. and will only be in Lot D.

There will also be limited parking available at Lot B in front of the Avana Centre / Volleybarn.

The Riders’ pre-game party, the Coors Light Party in the Park, will start at 2 p.m. in Confederation Park, with accessible parking at Lot F on the west side of Confederation Park.

Later that night – country music superstar Keith Urban will be performing at the Brandt Centre, with doors opening at 6 p.m. and the concert scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device

Pre-purchased priority exit parking is sold out for the concert, which is in Lot F beside the Viterra International Trade Centre.

During the day, the Regina Farmers’ Market will be held at 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Lot E.

The Galaxy Psychic Fair will be taking place at the Queensbury Convention Centre from Thursday to Sunday, with Saturday’s hours 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

“We understand that it’s going to get a little bit crazy,” said Mira, manager and event organizer of the Galaxy Psychic Fair. “It’s going to be some fun trying to find some parking. We do encourage people to take public transit for this one day.”

Finally, the University of Regina Cougars men’s hockey team will be taking on the Manitoba Bisons at the Co-operators Centre at 2:30 p.m.

REAL encourages visitors for this event to use the Princess Street entrance from Dewdney Avenue.

Despite the multiple events, REAL believes they’re prepared for anything - especially after the cancellation of a rider game earlier in the season due to wildfire smoke.

“Well, we’re getting really good at executing in extraordinary circumstances,” REAL president and CEO, Rick Bennett said. “When you take your memory back to the smoke filled game where we sat tight till later in the evening and rescheduled the game. We executed back to back CFL games, the Labour Day Classic was an absolute sell out and really tested everybody on the team in terms of delivering incredible services.”

Bennett said organizers are ready for a busy weekend ahead and are advising attendees to use time to their advantage.

“What we’re asking of people visiting Real District is give yourself lots of time, be prepared for moving around a little slower on the district as well as the adjacent communities,” he said.

“We’ve worked incredibly hard with the City of Regina to enhance the traffic flow, extend the green light signals coming off of Lewvan Drive into the district, as well as a stronger presence in terms of traffic control throughout the district.”

Alternative options

As parking will be in high demand for the multitude of events on Saturday, REAL organizers encourage eventgoers to take public transit, use a rideshare or taxi service, carpool, or park offsite.

If fans choose to park offsite, they are asked to be mindful of surrounding neighbourhoods and make sure not to block driveways or crosswalks.

For Regina Transit information, including fares and schedules, people can check online, with a live map here.

Uber, Capital Cabs, Co-op Taxi, and Rider Cabs are available, according to REAL.

According to REAL, additional staff have been added to accommodate for the busy weekend, with organizers working with the City of Regina to make sure all traffic lights in the area are working.

All City of Regina bylaws will remain in effect.