Waskimo festival hosting 1st public ice skating event on Regina's Wascana Lake in 16 years
People in Regina will have the rare chance to ice skate on Wascana Lake during this year's Waskimo Winter Festival.
The event includes indoor and outdoor activities for families, all of which are free to the public.
Some of the activities include a bird watching field trip, cross country skiing, a mini escape room, Crokicurl, and a chance to play the popular video game Fortnite inside the Conexus Arts Centre.
"We have put together an amazing show this year," Jim Aho, festival organizer, told CBC Radio's The Morning Edition.
There will also be a public skating oval on Wascana Lake for the first time in 16 years.
"It gives me goose bumps when I think about the young kids, there's a whole young generation that have never skated on the lake in Regina," said Aho.
"That is such a thrill," he said. "It's by the community, for the community"
Polar Plunge
Another highlight of the festival will be the polar plunge.
The 'Freezing for a Reason' plunge is a fundraiser for Special Olympics Saskatchewan.
Cst. Frank Kovacs, a member of the Regina Police Service Police Plungers, is one of the participants.
He said Special Olympics Saskatchewan is an organization he holds dear because he has spent time with many of the athletes.
"Once you're around them it just makes you understand how special they really are," he told CBC Radio's Saskatchewan Weekend.
"To raise support and awareness for them is the least we can do."
It's the first time Kovacs will be partaking in a polar plunge, but he remembers watching others do it on TV at Wascana Lake in the 1980s.
"I thought they were crazy, and here I am doing it tomorrow."
But this year will be a bit different than past plunges.
Instead of diving into the lake, Kovacs said participants will be dropped into a lined Loraas Disposal bin filled with about five feet of water from a fire hydrant.
"We're going to be diving into some pretty cool water still," he said.
"I'm a little nervous, not going to lie to you."
The Waskimo Winter Festival is scheduled to start at 11AM CT. Outdoor activities are being held on Wascana Lake, while indoor events will be at the Conexus Arts Centre.
Preferred parking is available at the Conexus Arts Centre for $10 per vehicle.
