‘It’s a cornerstone’: Regina Farmers’ Market celebrates 50 years

The Regina Farmers’ Market celebrated its 50th anniversary last week.

Executive director Holly Laird said farmers’ markets are a valued place for people to gather and to connect small businesses and farmers to customers and the community.

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“They bring vibrancy and life to any place where they set up, so to me, they’re critical,” Laird said.

“They’re very important to a healthy and vibrant community.”

Hundreds gathered for the celebration in Victoria Park on Wednesday.

Laird said farmers’ markets allow people to experience a community’s culture in a manner that can’t be replicated.

“It’s a really good reflection of the diversity of our community, and it’s an institution, it’s a cornerstone and it’s iconic,” Laird said.

The Regina Farmers’ Market had been located at Pat Fiacco Plaza since 2011, but was forced to move after a fire in 2023 and issues with downtown construction.

For 2025, its Wednesday markets will be hosted at Victoria Park, while its Saturday markets will be hosted at Confederation Park. Both run from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

“As much as it can be challenging to have to adapt and change to (new) locations, it also can present new opportunities to reach new people and to reinvent what we’re doing,” Laird said.

“We try and look at it that way, as much as sometimes we feel a little bit sad about it.”

Laird said she hopes the farmers’ market can return to Pat Fiacco Plaza once construction is finished.

Laird said the Canada-U.S. trade war has led to an uptick in people buying locally.

“There is a lot of uncertainty, and the tariffs and things will affect our vendors in lots of ways that we know aren’t the best, but there definitely has been conversation amongst vendors and customers, (and) renewed interest in making sure to support our local people and keeping our dollars here,” she said.

Laird began her journey with the farmers’ market as a vendor in 2015, and became a staff member in 2018. She became executive director in 2019.

She said it’s been exciting to watch the market’s evolution of the years, seeing some businesses become legacy vendors or even branch out beyond Regina Farmers’ Market itself.

“When I get to know the vendors and I know how hard they work to be here, it just motivates me to keep going and to keep moving,” she said.