Cold winter weather, pandemic concerns and the trucking convoy didn’t stop Regina residents from attending and enjoying Frost, the city’s first winter festival.
“We all had so much fun at the Frost!” said Annabel Townsend, a Regina resident who attended the festival with her friends.
“I even managed to convince my winter-hating friend that sometimes the snow can be beautiful.”
Frost had four different locations in the city: Downtown, Wascana Park, Evraz Place and Warehouse District. Each location showcased various unique activities and displays, such as the Glow REAL’s glamorous light exhibition which included famous symbols from countries around the world created with dazzling lights.
“[I] wasn’t prepared for all the wonderful venues,” said Marlene Hovland, a festival visitor.
“So much was offered, especially for kids.”
The organizers’ goal was to create a festival that celebrates winter. From light displays, ice sculptures and arts performances to food, drinks and skating rinks Frost had something to offer for everyone.
The family friendly environment and the engaging activities made Frost a delightful experience for many attendees.
“It was a wonderful event for families of all ages,” said Nichole Hallman, who attended the festival with her family. “The lights were very relaxing.”
Frost ran for 10 days, ending Sunday but some residents wanted the festival to last longer.
“I sadly never got to Victoria Park or other venues,” said Diana Bryant, a visitor who only had a chance to check out the Frost REAL displays.
“I would have loved to visit all the locations.”
Some festival locations were open throughout the week while others were only open during the weekend. A few planned performances got cancelled during the first weekend of the festival due to the extreme cold weather in the city, which dropped to -37 C wind chill.
The Wascana dog sled and wagon rides were cancelled over the first weekend due to the two opposing protests outside the Legislative Building: the truckers’ convoy, calling for an end to the mandates, and the pro-mandate protestors. The protests were dismantled late Sunday night as Regina Police Service officers and tow trucks moved in.
Frost organizers tracked the festival attendance regularly and say they are happy with the results.
More than 17,000 people attended the festival’s four sites on opening weekend. Mark Rathwell, the Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) communications manager, said there were over 10,760 visitors at REAL over the first weekend.
“We are looking to grow this and keep it going for years to come,” said Rathwell.
Many festival attendees are sharing their experience and memories at Frost on social media platforms.
Pam Bristol, a festival attendee who checked out the multiple Frost locations throughout the city, posted a video of a glow dance performance at Frost REAL on her Instagram page.
“Who says winter isn’t fun! Way to go Frost Regina. Come back next year,” said Bristol’s caption on her video.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZx_ex9FRGY/?utm_medium=copy_link
Kenton de Jong, a Saskatchewan-based travel blogger, posted multiple photos on his Twitter account and expressed his thoughts on different exhibits.
“I really loved the Dutch light exhibit at Frost Regina’s Glow display,” said de Jong’s tweet. “It made me miss spring and all the flowers.”
https://twitter.com/kentondejong/status/1493057134388523008?s=21
Most residents hope the festival comes back next year as Regina’s annual winter tradition.
Organizers said while their plans are not yet confirmed and the final attendance numbers are not calculated they are hopeful the event will come back in the future years. They expect to announce the overall attendance in a wrap up news conference scheduled for Wednesday morning.
