Enjoy some weekend events during Alberta Culture Days

Alberta Culture Days, the largest celebration of arts, heritage, diversity and community spirit in the province, will be hosted beginning tomorrow and will run through the weekend.

It is part of National Culture Days, where more than 800 communities across Canada hope to increase awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities.

Jacob LeBlanc of Windspeaker Radio CFWE FM talked with Leela Aheer, minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women, about the upcoming activities.

It was originally called Alberta Arts Days, said Aheer, who used to own a music studio in Chestermere. It got its kick off in 2008, she said. It then morphed into Alberta Culture Days in 2012. It started as a one-day nod to music and arts, and now it’s gone to a weekend event, and in Wood Buffalo, it’s a 10-day extravaganza called IgNight, which runs from Sept. 26 to Oct. 6.

“So it’s really grown.”

The province has provided grants to 87 communities to hold their events. The minister said she’s excited by all the activities planned and particularly the Indigenous events that are beautiful and thoughtful, lovely and heartfelt.

“I think there will be a lot of learning and teaching and healing that goes through some of those celebrations.”

It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn history and the stories of coming together and reconciliation.

Bearspaw Nation is hosting Eden Valley Days. There is Aboriginal Storytelling in Red Deer. There is a round dance in Grande Prairie, and the showing of the feature film “Elder in the Making” in Redcliff.

Inuit author and scholar Norma Dunning will do a reading from her book "Annie Muktuk and Other Stories".  And a workshop on how to publish Indigenous books will be held with Dianne Meili, a publisher and former Windspeaker contributor.

And so much more. Find the events at https://culturedays.ca/events/grid?province=AB

“We are really super excited, and we just want to see this grow,” said the minister.