Thorunn Howatt
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 19/02) - What started as a great shopping adventure has turned into a Yellowknife festival -- but Raven Mad Daze is still a great shopping adventure.

From space donated by Centre Square Mall, Raven Mad Daze co-ordinator Lisa Tesar explained the event will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, right around the time Aboriginal Day festivities draw to a close -- and exactly on the summer solstice this year. It will run on 51st Street down to 47th.

"It started as a midnight madness type of event and grew," said Tesar, explaining the festival is much more than just a shopping event now.

"In the past Raven Mad Daze has attracted anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 people per event."

Food vendors, retailers, event promoters and non-profit organizations paid $100 to register with event co-ordinators. They will line downtown Yellowknife streets along with entertainment events.

It is Tesar's first year on organization's board. The society's long-term goal is for people to have access to Raven Mad Daze information all year and expand the event. It is a non-profit association run by volunteers who formed a board of directors.

This year Raven Mad Daze coincides with Aboriginal Day, and that is likely to happen again in future years. "Maybe we can build this into a huge event that will nationally attract people up here," said Tesar.

Only four stores have registered as closed during Raven Mad Daze. Merchants will have to pay some staff overtime because of the statutory holiday.

The Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce is not connected with the event this year.

A new chamber staff wasn't able to tackle the huge undertaking.

"Raven Mad Daze is one of those events that's really hard every year to find somebody to do," said Raven Mad's chairperson Ellie Sassville.

But she added, "You just don't want to see it die."