👑 Regina's downtown weekend

Regina's friendly local roundup | Friday, August 21, 2026

Happy Friday, Regina! 👋

We're closing out a warm, easy week and heading into a jam-packed weekend downtown. Between a Water Circus, a lakeside music festival, and two very different reasons for people to be looking down (or up) at Hill Centre Tower II this Saturday, there's no shortage of ways to spend the next three days.

In today's edition:

Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver Johnny Johnson III scored his first regular-season touchdown as a Rider on Aug. 16, sliding across the goal line after hauling in a 21-yard catch from Trevor Harris against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The 27-year-old, who has 19 catches for 250 yards this season, said finally getting into the end zone felt great after flirting with paydirt several times earlier this year. He and the Riders, sitting second in the West at 6-3, head to Vancouver Sunday to face the B.C. Lions.

For linebacker Josh Woods, the trip carries extra weight. He spent five seasons with the Lions before signing with Saskatchewan on Feb. 4, and Sunday marks his first game at BC Place as a visitor. Woods leads the CFL with 126 interception return yards this season, including a 107-yard pick-six against Hamilton on July 12, the third-longest return in franchise history. He says a single phone call with head coach Corey Mace was enough to convince him Saskatchewan was the right fit.

Danny Banda, a defensive back, linebacker and return specialist who played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1958 to 1962, headlines the Regina Sports Hall of Fame's 2026 induction class. Now 88, the Regina-born Banda also excelled in hockey and baseball, and set himself apart on special teams at a time when the CFL prohibited blocking on punt returns, fielding 37 punts in 1959 and 60 the following year. He also picked off seven career interceptions.

Joining Banda as athlete inductees are Janz Stein (athletics) and Lois Kos (lawn bowling), while builders Mal and Dale Isaac, longtime Regina media figures, and Rod Schmidt, the city's former Manager of Stadium Development, round out the class. The 2006 Regina Squids water polo team will also be inducted. The formal ceremony takes place Oct. 8 at the Queensbury Centre.

Regina-style pizza, with its square slices and layers of deli meat and cheese, is now part of a new merchandise line from Tourism Regina, alongside designs featuring the Warehouse District, the downtown skyline and the Globe Theatre. Teale Orban, the organization's director of destination stewardship, unveiled the T-shirts, hats and key chains at a news conference at the Regina Airport on Thursday, framing it as a way for people to carry a piece of the city's identity with them wherever they go.

The Globe Theatre, Canada's only permanent theatre in the round, said it feels lucky to be part of the lineup, with digital communications associate Hayley Shirkey calling it an honour to represent Regina "out to the world." Orban said the line could grow if this first run sells well. The merchandise is available now at the Regina Airport, City Hall and online.

Check out the merch here

A corner lot at Sixth Avenue and Retallack Street, empty since a 2022 explosion levelled the house that once stood there, is set to become home to Building Futures Collective, the social enterprise arm of youth non-profit Growing Young Movers. Regina's executive committee unanimously endorsed the plan this week, along with a $300,000 grant from the city's Housing Accelerator Fund and a five-year property tax exemption to help build a 2,000-square-foot shop where young people, including Scott Collegiate graduates, can work and even fabricate tiny homes.

Executive director Brian Lewis said the idea grew out of conversations with youth who told him they wanted to stay and build lives in North Central. He called it "a powerful message" to see young people visibly working to improve their own community, and said the group hopes to acquire an adjacent lot as well. City council is expected to grant final approval Sept. 9.

Kyle Moffat, co-founder of Regina-based Sticks and Doodles, says artificial intelligence has changed how his personalized artwork and gift business operates, but not always for the better. The company leans on AI for tasks like sales and advertising data analysis, giving a small business access to tools it otherwise couldn't afford. On the creative side, though, Moffat says the technology loses its shine fast, particularly when customers submit AI-generated logos expecting the team to use them directly.

Moffat said his team has to explain that "we're a business that employs people that design stuff for you," noting reworking those submissions can cost hundreds of dollars in staff time. Opinions are split in-house, he said, with some staff embracing AI and the shop's designers largely resistant to it. Moffat shared his experience as part of CBC's Saskatoon Morning series on how AI is reshaping local jobs.

August 21 to 23, 2026

🎪 Cirque Italia Water Circus Platinum | REAL District | 7:30 PM | Paid admission
A big-top water circus running through Monday, with acrobatics staged over a stage full of water.
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🎶 Shake The Lake Regina | Conexus Arts Centre, 200 Lakeshore Drive | Fri–Sat | Paid admission | A weekend outdoor music festival on the lake presented by Brandt, headlined by 54•40 and Smash Mouth.
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🎬 RIFFA Screening: A Cree Approach — nêhiyawîhtwâwin | MacKenzie Art Gallery, 3475 Albert Street | Free | A documentary following one woman's journey to reconnect with the Cree language.
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💃 Early Shift Women's Dance Party | The Artesian on 13th, 2627 13th Avenue | 6:00 PM | Paid admission | An early-evening dance night for women, part of the venue's regular lineup.
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🤘 Weapon World, Herb, Half Dead and more | The Exchange (Clubside), 2431 8th Avenue | Doors 7:00 PM | All ages | A touring lineup of grind and crossover punk acts from across Western Canada, including Saskatoon's Exsang.
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🎞️ respectfulchild: Film Screening and Performance | RPL Film Theatre, Central Library | 7:00 PM | Free | A new Canadian film screening paired with a live performance.
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🦉 OWL//LAB | Royal Saskatchewan Museum, 2445 Albert Street | 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM | Free drop-in | A hands-on session with Museum scientists, including owl pellet dissection and grip-strength comparisons.
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🚗 Friday Nights Classic Car Show | Southland Mall | 5:00 PM | Free | A weekly gathering of classic car owners showing off their rides in the parking lot.
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🚔 RCMP Depot Tours | RCMP Heritage Centre, 5907 Dewdney Avenue | Through Aug 28 | Paid admission | A guided trolley tour through the RCMP's training academy grounds and museum galleries.
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🎨 Games in the Park | Victoria Park | Through Aug 28 | Free | Drop-in lawn games and activities for all ages, downtown.
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🦸 I Love Regina Day | Victoria Park | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Free | The 24th annual civic pride celebration, with the I Love Regina Run & Walk at 8:30 a.m., a free BBQ from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and The BrassRoots Collective headlining the main stage.
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🪂 Easter Seals Drop Zone | Hill Centre Tower II, 1881 Scarth Street | 8:00 AM – 4:15 PM | Dozens of costumed participants rappel 21 storeys down the tower for SaskAbilities, just steps from I Love Regina Day.
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🛒 Regina Farmers' Market | Pat Fiacco Plaza, 2190 12th Avenue | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Free admission | Local produce, baked goods and crafts from area vendors. This is a recurring market with no single-event page.
Market info

🏛️ Heritage Regina: Walking Tour of Government House | Government House, 4607 Dewdney Avenue | 6:00 PM | A guided walking tour exploring the history of Government House, departing from the front entrance.
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🎶 Shake The Lake Regina continues (see Friday listing).

📖 Weird Music Weekend: Bizarre Beats | Regina Public Library, Central Branch | Free | A quirky drop-in library program exploring the strangest corners of music history.
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🤘 AngelMaker: Canadian Heritage Tour | The Exchange, 2431 8th Avenue | 6:00 PM | Paid admission | A touring metal show with Ingested, Larcenia Roe and Elder Colossus.
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🦉 OWL//LAB | Royal Saskatchewan Museum, 2445 Albert Street | 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM | Free drop-in | A repeat session of Friday's hands-on owl program with Museum scientists.
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🧘 Yoga in the Gardens | Government House, 4607 Dewdney Avenue | 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Free | A free drop-in yoga session on the historic North Lawn, running throughout the summer.
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🧺 Picnics on the Island | Willow Island Overlook | Free | The final Sunday of this summer's picnic series on the overlook, wrapping up its run.
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📖 Weird Music Weekend: Bingo | Regina Public Library, Central Branch | Free | A musical spin on bingo night, part of the library's Weird Music Weekend series.
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🖼️ Beast Friends Forever | Art Gallery of Regina, Neil Balkwill Civic Arts Centre | Free, through Sept 17 | Five prairie artists explore the boundaries between humans and other animals.
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🏅 Played Here: 60 Years of Saskatchewan Sport | Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame | Free, through May 2027 | A retrospective exhibit celebrating six decades of Saskatchewan sport history.
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🦉 Look Whooo's Here | Royal Saskatchewan Museum | Through Aug 30 | A summer-long owl exhibit and programming series.
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🔭 Kalium Observatory Free Public Observing | Kramer IMAX Theatre | Free, through Dec 11 | Public stargazing sessions hosted by the Regina Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
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🪂 Drop Zone, obviously, I need to see this
🦸 I Love Regina Day, the whole family's going
🎪 Neither, I'm at the water circus
🎶 None of the above, Shake The Lake has my ticket

Hit reply and let us know :)

Thanks for reading Queen City Digest. Whatever you're doing this weekend, downtown Regina's got a spot for you.

🗓️ Next edition: Monday, August 24.

-QCD