FROST Regina: Saskatchewan's big winter festival now taking over YQR!

I’ve heard of FROST Regina and have been in town when setup is going on, but somehow this year was the first time my family took in the event. Despite balmy temperatures threatening ice conditions, the festival went off without a hitch, and it has me thinking… should FROST Regina become our annual winter vacay? Here’s some activities we took in, the accommodations we enjoyed, and delicious food we ate. I hope it inspires YOU to plan a little roadtrip to FROST Regina, too.

This post is sponsored by Tourism Regina but all opinions are mine!

FROST at REAL is a ticketed event ($60/family daypass) and takes place inside and out of Mosaic Stadium. Did I expect a giant bouncer course that adults could run, too? I did not! But it was an absolutely delightful part of our day and we spent ages enjoying the in-stadium inflatable fun. There were also cross country skis and snowshoes to try. I was with my family, obviously, but I thought this event would also make for the most memorable date idea!

In the concourse, Paris mastered mechanical snowboarding which is much like a mechanical bull. We also played air hockey and the kids spun every prize wheel in sight.

Outside, we played in the Indigenous games tent, challenged each other in street hockey, and the kids climbed and sledded on the hill.

On the zero cost side of FROST Regina, there’s lots to explore and one hub is right in the heart of town: downtown Victoria Park. Giant crokicurling, hot chocolate, tire sur la neige, entertainment, and there’s even skates to borrow if you forget yours!

In what might be the most picturesque part of FROST Regina happens at Wascana Centre. We missed the petting zoo but there’s also horse drawn sleigh rides, skating on Wascana as well as nature-based learning and Indigenous teachings. Oh and that’s Jack Frost you see at the beautiful Brunch at Conexus Arts Centreat Conexus Arts Centre… there’s still one more brunch event scheduled for Feb 15, go enjoy!!

There are other FROST Regina happenings I would have loved to take in including the FROST Circut local craft beer crawl, but with kiddos that wasn’t in the cards. One we wished to attend but it was sold out for the dates we were there is Frozen The Musical at Globe Theatre. Grab your tickets while you can, I’ve heard it’s wonderful!

Where did we stay? No surprise here! I’ve shared about The Atlas Hotel many times because we’re all big fans. Locally-owned, always excellent, and of course they’ve got the Soaked! Waterpark my kids are wild about. Tyler and I got to attend a super fun mock wedding there while the kids had a movie night down the hall… you’ve gotta watch my tiktok about that mock wedding. Makes me wanna throw a big celebration of my own at The Atlas!

If you haven’t visited the Royal Saskatchewan Museum before, this alone is worth the drive to Regina. Walking through millions of years worth of history feels profound but is also the most stunning gallery of artwork when you look at how much was created for the museum. Trust me. Go.

I’m writing this and marveling how we squeezed all of these adventures into a weekend, but it was NONSTOP FUN. Here, we perused the Farmer’s Market on Saturday at REAL, before FROST at REAL opened.

Now let’s talk food. The originators of Regina style pizza is Houston Pizza so that’s where we went! Founded by Greek immigrant brothers George, John, and Tony Kolitsas, since 1970, this family-owned restaurant (now with multiple locations) has been serving up that nice, thick, cheesy za that locals know and love. Cut into squares, of course. (This is the Quance location.)

13th Avenue Food and Coffee House has a menu I need to dive into again. Bowls, sammies, salads… it’s my jam. Loved the pita and hummus! Location: 3136 13th Ave

And Some Flower Cafe is new in Regina and you should probably watch my reel to see more of it because it’s soooo instagrammable and I took a ton of video. Likewise, the food is photo-worthy, but also delish. The croffles (croissant waffles) are especially beautiful. Location: 1378 Mcintyre St.

And we had to stop at Filigree Chocolaterie! These locally handmade fine chocolates are almost too pretty to eat. Almost. Location: 2130-A Robinson Street

FROST Regina runs til Feb 22nd and is definitely worth taking in. I know Saskatchewan folks often think of winter vacations as escaping the season, but there’s so much to be said for leaning in! It’s easy on the wallet, you avoid travel hiccups, it’s good for our local economy, & our province has so much to offer. Be proud to champion it!

Maygen

p.s. Looking for more guarenteed family hits in Regina? READ THIS TOO :)