As 2022 comes to an end, Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (RDBID) looks back on the year we had.
Here are some of the highlights from 2022:
RDBID grew as we welcomed seventeen new businesses to our district. We cannot wait to promote and work with them in the future.
Downtown hosted the first Frost festival (February 2 -12) with the REAL District, Warehouse District, and Wascana Centre. Over the ten days, our hub featured ice skating, fire pits, snow sculptures, live music, Indigenous storytellers, and beautiful winter artwork. Our downtown businesses got involved, too, with Regina Restaurant Week and Frost After Dark. We were honoured to be listed as one of Canada’s top five winter festivals! (https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article-canadas-best-winter-festivals-from-coast-to-coast/)
After we “defrosted,” RDBID launched Summer programming – our Info on the Go Team, Clean Team, Summer in the Square, and the Downtown Visitor Service Pavilion. This summer featured Salsa on the Plaza, Spin on Scarth, Words in the Park, Zumba on the Plaza, Storytelling and Art in the Park, Pop Up Bike Coop, Regina Word Up, and Games on the Plaza.
We followed Andi as she experienced downtown for the first time in her RDBID Adventures blog. She featured many downtown members and interviewed the owners of the businesses. In 2023, we want to continue to feature our members and how to “Experience Downtown.”
Numerous artworks from our Urban Canvas Program continuously beautify our downtown. This year, we were lucky to work with many artists during our Frost Art Walk at Frost and Digital Murals during Grey Cup Week. We also had an alley transformed by Karlie King, a new garage door artwork by Dustin Ritter, a mural by Josh Groff (with design help from Saigon by Night owner Mr. Cho), and a prehistoric mural on the walls of the Albert Street underpass by Geanna Dunbar.
Regina hosted the 109th Grey Cup, and RDBID welcomed football fans from across Canada to showcase the best that Regina downtown has to offer in conjunction with the festivities happening at the REAL District. Our Touchdown Downtown three day event featured live music, ice sculptures, horse and carriage rides, a chilli lunch (provided by our downtown restaurants), and the launch of artistic and architectural warming installations. These installations will be installed in Victoria Park for the winter season.
Thank you to everyone who attended our events and programming or supported our members by shopping locally and enjoying local cuisine. We’ll see you in 2023!
Keep in touch with us! Did you know RDBID started a Linkedin and TikTok this year?
TikTok: @reginadowntownbid
LinkedIn: @Regina Downtown Business Improvement District
Instagram: @reginadowntownbid
Facebook: @ReginaDowntownBID
Twitter: @ReginaDowntown
