REGINA — This year, it's the 60th Edition of the LDC at Mosaic Stadium between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Regina is usually a beehive of activity as Rider Nation and fans of the Bombers make the annual pilgrimage to the Queen City. Hotel balconies will be adorned with flags from both teams, and there will be good-natured “trash talk” on the streets, in bars and in restaurants.
The Bombers have even bought a few billboards in town that say “Friends don’t let friends wear green”.
This year’s match-up is a complete sell-out at Mosaic Stadium, and the Riders are expecting to see the biggest crowd since the stadium opened.
It's also “Canadian Armed Forces Appreciation Day” at Mosaic, with a pair of CF-18 fighters doing a flyover right before kick off. There will be a special tribute to the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces.
The hype will continue to build towards the game Sunday with the pre-game “Party In The Park” at two o’clock in Confederation Park. There are all kinds of activities from inflatables, interactive games and face painting, and local food trucks on site. There is also a watermelon-eating contest. Music will be provided by the “Blu Beach Band”.
The Arcana Kings will bring their unique fusion of rock and bagpipes to the halftime concert stage.
Right now, the weather forecast is for a hot day with temperatures in the 30’s, so fans are being told to come prepared. Sealed water bottles up to one litre in size will be permitted, and there will be water refill stations in the south end zone for fans who bring re-usable water bottles.
With a huge crowd, people are being encouraged to get to the stadium and get in their seats early. To help speed entry into the stadium fans are reminded that you can not bring in purses, backpacks or camera bags. Everything you bring has to be in a clear plastic bag. For more on that, you can hit the Roughriders web page.
The best way to get to and from, is taking Rider Transit. It's a free bus service that leaves from major malls like Southland, as well as the U of R, and stops in the warehouse district as well at 6th Avenue and Rose, and 8th Avenue and Scarth Street. The buses will start running one hour and 45 minutes before game time, and begin shuttling people back at the start of the fourth quarter.
If you are going to ride a bike, the bike valet service is available two hours before game time. It's located at the southeast corner of Confederation Park.
60th Labour Day Classic:
Weather: Sunny. Hot. 30 Degrees.
Radio: 620CKRM
Countdown to Kick off starts at 2 p.m.
The Rider Nation Pregame Show starts at 4 p.m.
Kick off with Dave Thomas and Luc Mullinder is at 5 p.m.
