Feb 9-19, 2024 • Laurier Park
Edmonton's longest running winter festival!
Feb 9-19, 2024 • Laurier Park
Edmonton's longest running winter festival!
At the Heritage Village, festival-goers get a taste of traditional and contemporary experiences from the lands of Treaty 6.
This year, the Heritage Village will feature a mixture of historical engagements as well as contemporary examples of Indigenous peoples. The activities are all ages and showcase different examples of Winter teachings/activities. History is alive in us today and we will continue to carry history forward.
Activations Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5pm.
The Indigenous Pavilion will be organized to resemble the orientation of the Medicine Wheel. These are inspired by the teachings offered to the festival by Elder Francis Whiskeyjack. The pavilion will be oriented to face the proper directions. The programming at this pavilion is inspired directly from the teachings of each direction of the medicine wheel. Each direction will be marked by a light installation and an art painting designed by local artist Matthew Cardinal with support from iHuman.
In the largest tent in the pavilion, and inspired by Elders Francis Whiskeyjack's teachings around the wolf traveling in a pack and building new experiences, join the pack of Sampler Cafe. This fun group workshop features local DJ sensations who will show people of all ages how to finger drum and build your own beats. A very exciting experience not to be missed!
When not mixing and playing with beats, everyone is welcome to hang around and listen to the beautiful stories on a recorded loop offered by Elders Francis Whiskeyjack, Elsie Paul, and William Sewepagaham.
As we enter adulthood and work through our own healing and embrace choice, this part of the pavilion will include three tents that host unique artisan and learning experiences. In one tent, Craving Colour will feature some hand-made beaded jewelry and dream catchers for sale. In a second tent, Fort Edmonton Park will fill tables with furs and artifacts from that particular part of history; in this tent, you can also catch a sneak peak of a new play “CIVIL BLOOD: A Treaty Story,” an artistic exploration of the signing of Treaty 6 that will be presented at Fort Edmonton Park in Summer 2024—a 5-minute trailer of this play along with some COLD readings of scenes will commence every half hour on the hour. And in the third tent, join Jessica Sanderson-Barry of JShine Designs with her hides and tools. She will offer workshops on Hide Tanning Land-Based Teachings for all ages!
Inspired by the place of birth and early childhood, this part of the pavilion will be a palace of invitation and welcoming into the space. It will host a TeePee provided by Fort Edmonton Park and serve as a central welcoming space into the pavilion.
With the years of teenagehood represented in this space, the south of this pavilion will host a large installation of Willow Arches. During February 11, 12, 18, and 19 at 6pm, the pavilion will host a Walk/Run Ceremony. We will gather inside the heated tent to have a conversation with Elder Ben Steinhauer about Treaty relationships and history. We will then have a conversation about our own lives on these lands. Then, rooted in the spirit of healing and letting go of what is not serving us anymore, Adam Erasmus will lead the entire crowd on a walk/run beginning through the willow arches designed by Tessa Stamp. The crowd will return back to the pavilion through these arches and end around the fire pit in the centre where we will offer to the fire thoughts and ways of thinking that are not serving us anymore. Symbolizing the growth and “walking” that happens in the teenage years, this section of the pavilion will be an exciting space of connection, healing, learning, and relationship-building.
As part of his healing journey, Adam Erasmus began walking and running to deal with restlessness. As he walked and ran, he found that every step he took allowed him to shed what was not serving him anymore. And now, Adam feels compelled to share his experience with anyone willing to participate.
Every weekend of the festival, join Adam Erasmus, Josh Languedoc, and Elder Ben Steinhauer for a walk/run healing ceremony. Together, we will gather around the fire in the middle of the Heritage Village and discuss various teachings connected to the Treaties. Then, follow Adam, Ben, and Josh through the Willow Archways on a walk/run around a lighted trail through the park. We will walk with the intention of letting go. Building community. Celebrate the ceremony of being together.
When we return through the arches, we will end back around the fire in the centre of the Heritage Village and have a releasing ceremony. Shedding what is no longer serving us in our lives, we will celebrate the lives we have and the healing we can do together. All ages and all backgrounds are welcome.
Saturdays and Sundays at 6pm
Sampler Café brings its world of wires and electronic music production tools back to Edmonton International Street Performers Festival once again for 2022. Sampler Café is a collective of musicians, producers and artists dedicated to sharing their passion for music technology and performance with people of all ages and from all walks of life. If you make music, are interested in learning more about how to start or just want to make lots of loud/weird noises, bring the whole family out and let Sampler Café show you how it is done!
I am jake and I'd like to welcome you to Craving Color 😊 Here you will find the products of my creativity from jewelry to dreamcatchers and many things in between, all made by me. You can always rest assured that each piece is infused with love and positive energy, and I pour my heart into each project with the best of intentions. My late Grandmother gave me my first beading kit when I was eight years old and I have been hooked ever since. My appreciation of the beauty all around us grows stronger all the time, and I try to incorporate nature and tradition in all of my art, while at the same time trying to be different and unique. My goal is to provide people with the ability to express their individuality and not get caught up in mass-production and fads. I also hope to spread around a little bit of knowledge about my Indigenous culture as I have learned it, which relies heavily on the care and respect for our beautiful world and for each other.
Don't Follow the Flock ... Lead It!
Your Life Craves Color ... Feed It!
My name is Tessa Raye... owner of The Tesserae...not a coincidence. I thanked my mother for the perfect name for what I do. My career has been in scenic design and technical theatre. I do a little carpentry, sewing, costuming, upholstery, I am a professional glue gun slinger, I can wire up and design with most types of lighting, I am a passionate thrifter and upcycler, I am a painter (of furniture, cabinets, walls, concrete patios... etc) and shocker... I can tile a mean mosaic. I have always used my skills outside the industry, creating window displays, parade floats, commercial installations and specialized event props, but when the pandemic began and theatres closed, I took the opportunity to invest more heavily in these other avenues. And The Tesserae - Creative Construction + Design was born. I look forward to meeting you all and helping you be bold enough to #painteverything.
Jess Sanderson-Barry of JShine Designs is a nêhiyaw-iskwêw, mother, full-time Cree Artist, Designer and Hide Tanner from Chakastaypasin Band, Treaty 6 Territory. Jessica has created her wearable art under the name JShine Designs and is currently working out of Edmonton, Alberta. Her art practice is influenced by her Cree roots, her lived experience and the land surrounding her.
Jessica combines both traditional and contemporary beading styles into her art. Throughout her practice she utilizes elements from the land such as traditionally tanned hides, which she is reclaiming the practice and art of hide tanning. Beading and working on hides has reawakened her spirit and she finds beading as a way to express herself by creating beautiful adornments for everyday wear.
MISSION
Thou Art Here is an artist-driven theatre collective creating audience-engaged immersive experiences.
VISION
Our theatre is authentically and intentionally Edmontonian
OUR STRATEGY
We live and present stories in Amiskwaciwaskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) on Treaty 6 territory on Turtle Island. Our calling is to make theatre in unexpected places, in unexpected way, for and about the people who are here. We will do this through developing cyclical processes for diversity, inclusion, and sustainability. Our work is based on forming ensembles grounded in the values of community and innovation
CORE VALUES
Courtesy Front Step Forge. Watch blacksmiths forge the primary tools of the trade: a punch, hammer and tongs. These techniques are the same as those used to produce Damascus steel, artwork, wrought iron, and are still used today to recreate historic hardware.
Weekends and holiday Monday, 1-5pm
By Canada Maple Shack. Take in the French-Canadian tradition of a 'toffee-pull' – drizzle some syrup onto ice to turn it into a sweet and sticky treat.
Open Weekends and holiday Monday from 1-5pm
Join us to explore interesting artifacts with costumed interpreters and join in on some historic activities and games!
Gather under the stars on our snow couches on the west side of the boathouse and enjoy these fascinating stories.
The Silver Skate Festival is honoured that Elder Francis Whiskeyjack is sharing his medicine wheel learnings and knowledge with us. This installation was created as an intent to educate and awareness of some native practices and teaching in a respectful way. This information being provided is one form of understanding Indigenous way of knowing and Indigenous ways of being, thus forming the psychology of the Medicine Wheel.
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