Annual event runs Sept. 11–14 with workshops, ceremonies and new cultural teachings
FORT MCMURRAY, AB — The Athabasca Tribal Council Cultural Festival is fast approaching, but there are some changes this year due to the new venue at J. Howard Pew Memorial Park.
The four-day event, presented by Centerfire Energy Group, will run Sept. 11 to 14 and feature education programs, ceremonies, workshops, live performances and traditional teachings. Organizers say the southbound lane of Saline Creek Parkway will be closed during the festival, with traffic reduced to a single lane.
The festival begins Sept. 11 with a day dedicated to education programs, followed by three days of public programming. Highlights include a grand entry and opening ceremony on Sept. 12, the finals of a 16-team hand games tournament on Sept. 14, and more than 40 cultural workshops ranging from beadwork and birchbark art to moose hide tanning and soapstone carving.
New this year are public cultural teachings open to all ages, with Elders and Knowledge Keepers offering lessons in bannock making, fish preparation, land-based harvesting and Dene and Cree language storytelling. The Traditional Village will showcase Cree and Dene cultures from each of the region’s First Nations, with food samples and opportunities to learn directly from Elders.
The festival will also feature a gift shop supporting Indigenous artists, a Learning Lodge, youth and children’s programming, an Elders’ tent, and a mainstage with performances from regional musicians and theatre groups. Shuttle services and designated parking areas are being set up to help manage traffic and ensure access for attendees.
More information, including schedules and registration for workshops, is available at www.atcculturalfestival.ca.
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