Event to feature Dene hand games, storytelling, traditional village and student programming
FORT McMURRAY, AB. — The Athabasca Tribal Council will celebrate the fifth anniversary of its cultural festival in a new location this September.
The annual event, presented by Centerfire Energy Group, will take place Sept. 11 to 14 at J. Howard Pew Memorial Park in the Waterways neighbourhood of Fort McMurray. Organizers say the site, along the Hangingstone and Clearwater rivers, strengthens the connection between the festival and the land.
“Our people’s connection to the land in Waterways is well known,” said Chief Allan Adam, president of the Athabasca Tribal Council. “With the Festival’s new location at J. Howard Pew Memorial Park, I know that our Elders, knowledge keepers, and artists will feel the strength of our ancestral connection to the land.”
The festival will include student programming on the opening day, with schools across the region invited to attend cultural teachings. Public events will run Friday through Sunday and feature Dene hand games, art, storytelling and a traditional village honouring Cree and Dene heritage.
ATC CEO Karla Buffalo said reaching the five-year milestone is a major achievement. “The ATC team welcomes your families and friends to experience the vibrant traditions, languages, and cultures of the Cree and Dene peoples during this special fifth anniversary celebration,” she said.
More information is available online at atcculturalfestival.ca.
ATC Cultural Fest, 2025. Web image
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