Here's how to get the most out of the Grey Cup Festival without spending a dollar
Celebrations and festivities for the Grey Cup game in the Queen city are set to begin on Wednesday. Here’s what you can enjoy for free in the lead up to the big game.
NOV. 16
SIRIUSXM KICKOFF PARTY
The free, all-ages event will begin at 5 p.m. and will officially launch the 2022 Grey Cup Festival and welcome the CFL championship trophy to the Queen City.
Saskatchewan raised and Juno-award winning singer Colin James is set to headline the kickoff party.
The celebration offers visitors of all ages to experience Riderville before it becomes a 19-years and older venue the next day.
The party is set to be held in the Viterra International Trade Centre at 1700 Elphinstone Street.
NOV. 16 – NOV. 19
SASKTEL DIGITAL ZONE
Described as “a fun, interactive way to get your game on” the SaskTel Digital Zone provides visitors video games with interactive technology and sports experiences.
Among the attractions are a virtual field goal kicking competition, a head to head stage, an augmented reality photo booth as well as a “V/R-cade” which offers everything from augmented reality dodgeball to a robot soccer match.
The free venue will be held in the International Trade Centre from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 16 and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Nov. 17 to Nov. 19.
NOV. 17 – NOV. 19
‘PATHS TO GLORY’ E-SPORTS TOURNAMENT
The Brandt Centre will host over 200 professional e-sports athletes as they face off to win a prize pool worth $50,000, the largest ever offered for Super Smash Bros Ultimate according to the festival.
Visitors can try the game for themselves for free on Thursday before the tournament gets underway on Friday and Saturday.
The competition features winners from the nine lead-up events representing CFL markets from across Canada.
Times: Thursday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday: 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
NEXGEN ENERGY STREET FESTIVAL
Described as a giant outdoor playground, the Nexgen Energy Street Festival offers four days of family friendly activities like games, warm up stations, shows from the Harvard Community Stage as well as the SaskPower Tube Slide.
The free street festival will run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. in Confederation Park.
SASKPOWER FAMILY FAIR
An indoor, family focused interactive area will be provided for those who are younger and young at heart, according to the festival.
The free area will house obstacle courses, bouncy castles and a selfie boutique.
The Family Fair will run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Affinityflex building.
NEXGEN ENERGY DRONE SHOW
The skies above the Grey Cup Festival will be illuminated by a nightly drone show.
The event at Confederation Park will be lit up by 300 drones working in formation to create a light show. According to the festival, it will be the largest drone show ever flown in Canada.
The shows will last for around 10 minutes, with the drones set to create a depiction of Turtle Island before highlighting all nine CFL teams and the Grey Cup itself.
The free nightly events are set to begin at 9 p.m.
HUDDLE IN THE HEARTLAND
Huddle in the Heartland is a youth football area that will offer programming to grow the game of football and teach children who are new to it.
Programming will include player led drills, position breakdowns and interactive skills competitions with a live leaderboard.
The free event is an extension of the Family Fair and will run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
GAINER’S HEARTLAND
The Gainer’s Heartland event promises to transport visitors to the ‘Heart of Saskatchewan.’
The family friendly space offers festival goers a relaxed venue to connect and many local food vendors as well as opportunities to explore Saskatchewan’s Indigenous roots.
Activities such as photo booths, face painting, hair braiding, colouring stations and many more will be available.
Complimentary Grey Cup scarves will be offered.
The area is also set to be visited by Saskatchewan's favourite gopher.
NOV. 18
CFL COMMISIONER STATE OF THE LEAGUE ADDRESS
The free event will see CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie provide an update on the direction of the Canadian Football League.
Ambrosie will also be available to take questions from fans.
The event is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at the International Trade Centre.
NOV. 18 – NOV. 19
CALGARY GREY CUP COMMITTEE PANCAKE BREAKFAST
A free, pancake breakfast will be provided at Confederation Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The event is put on by the Calgary Grey Cup Committee. The organization promises to put on a “kicken stampede breakfast” for all those who attend.
More information on all activities of the 2022 Grey Cup Festival, both free and priced, can be found on the festival’s website.
IMPORTANCE OF FREE EVENTS
Craig Reynolds, a co-chair of the Grey Cup Festival, said it’s important for events to be as accessible as possible.
“We want to get as many people engaged with the Grey Cup Festival as possible,” Reynolds said.
“Obviously there’s lots of paid events as well. We’ve had some really good uptake on things like our indoor tailgate, the player awards and the gala. But we really wanted this to be accessible for everybody, and certainly for families.”
This year, Reynolds said one of the themes focuses on youth and technology, which inspired some of the free events like the Digital Zone, the nightly drone show and the global e-sports tournament.
Away from the REAL District, the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (RDBID) is celebrating the festival in its own way.
“We wanted to make sure that the festive spirit was still downtown,” Judith Veresuk, the executive director of RDBID, said.
“What you’re going to see downtown is our own, smaller version of the [2013] tent that has lots of programming pre and post Riderville.”
Victoria Park will host its annual tree lighting on Wednesday, before turning into a football zone on Thursday.
“We’re going to have lots of activities that really celebrate our sporting culture here in Regina, whether it’s decorating helmets, decorating cookies or making pennants,” she said.
“We’re here for the community and want to make sure that whatever we do is accessible to everyone in the community.”
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