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Before the midway filled with flashing lights, loud music and large crowds Thursday, a smaller group of fairgoers had the Queen City Ex almost to themselves.
Kidway Morning returned on the second day of the annual Regina fair, offering children with diverse and sensory needs a quieter, more comfortable way for them to enjoy the attractions.
The private morning included performances by the SuperDogs and the Farmer’s Daughter, an appearance by Skye from Paw Patrol and time on selected Kiddieland rides.
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For the first hour after the Queen City Ex opened at noon, Kiddieland operated without its usual lights and sounds.
“We’ve welcomed down about 100 kids with different sensory needs for a quieter fair experience,” said Cat Betker, director of events and guest experience at the REAL District. “We had some fantastic programming with the SuperDogs, the Farmer’s Daughter and Paw Patrol.”
The smaller group also meant fewer people, shorter lines and less activity happening around the children.
“The big one, I think, is definitely the crowds because it is a controlled group,” Betker said. “We’ve got a smaller audience here. It’s not as stimulating in terms of people being everywhere.”
Kidway Morning was a longstanding part of the Queen City Ex before it was paused in 2025 during the fair’s transition to a new midway operator. REAL said after last year’s event that it intended to restore the program in 2026.
Betker said reducing the number of sensory triggers helps make the fairgrounds feel safer and more comfortable.
“Not having as much stimulation with the lights and the sounds definitely makes it a bit more comfortable,” she said. “The smaller groups definitely help keep that family ambiance alive, and so you feel comfortable with the people that you know.”
The Joshua Tree Learning Centre also sponsored a Queen City Ex quiet zone, where children and their families could step away from the activity, calm down and return to the fair when they felt ready.
Joshua Tree Learning Centre founder Stacey Adelman, right, and a colleague welcome families to the quiet zone during Kidway Morning at the Queen City Ex. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
Stacey Adelman, a registered psychologist and founder of the Regina centre, said an event such as the Queen City Ex can be overwhelming for people with sensory needs.
“The sounds, the sights, the smells it can all be a lot,” Adelman said. “To individuals with diverse needs, that can be very overwhelming to their nervous system.”
Adelman founded the Joshua Tree Learning Centre in memory of her youngest brother, Joshua, who had multiple disabilities. The centre supports people living with disabilities or mental health needs, along with their families, through counselling, assessments, educational programs, speech and language therapy and other services.
This was the centre’s first year working with the REAL District, although it has previously operated quiet zones at Frost Regina and during a Globe Theatre production of Frozen.
“People can kind of get away from all of that (light and sound), regulate their nervous systems, just feel calm and peaceful, and be able to come back and enjoy the fair again,” she said.
Adelman said reducing noise and lights is only part of making an event accessible. Families must also know there is a place for them and that their needs have been considered.
“It increases accessibility in our community, which I think is critical,” she said. “It allows families that have individuals with disabilities to be able to access all the fun things that Regina has to offer.”
The morning’s reception was easy to see as children watched the dogs, met Paw Patrol characters and waited for the rides to begin.
Sensory tools, including a sandbox, fibre-optic light and calming bottles, are available inside the Joshua Tree Learning Centre’s quiet zone at the Queen City Ex. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
“They see the rides. They’re excited to be a part of it,” Adelman said. “The dogs have been a great hit. It’s been very nice and interactive.”
Adelman said the smaller gathering also allowed families to meet and connect.
“I notice families are talking with one another, and we’ve enjoyed meeting families in the community,” she said. “It’s just got a nice community feel here.”
Betker said accessibility considerations extend beyond Kidway Morning and are included in planning for the full Queen City Ex.
“We need to be engaging as many parts of our community as possible,” she said. “By providing an experience that’s a little bit more accessible, I think we’re able to reach a demographic that sometimes maybe feels left out or doesn’t always feel seen.”
That planning includes considering how people using wheelchairs move through the fairgrounds and how different groups can participate in programming.
“It’s not just this morning. It’s definitely part of the full event plan,” Betker said. “But this morning specifically is really focused on providing that low-sensory experience.”
The Queen City Ex continues through Sunday at the REAL District.
