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RANKIN INLET - Lots of participants and a core group of volunteers combined to make the annual Pakallak Tyme spring festival a success in Rankin Inlet during the past 10 days.

The festival offered something for everyone, including snowmobile races, dog mushing, ice sculptures, scavenger hunts, cribbage, poker and Scrabble tournaments, Fear Factor, cross-dressing and fishing contests and the always popular monster bingos, among many other fun-filled activities.

The extended events wrap up this Sunday, May 10, with the snow-cross finals at the Area 6 snow fence.

The annual event did endure a cloud of sadness in the community, however, when well-know and respected elder Luke Issaluk passed away suddenly during the elder's dog-mushing event.

The family did not want the festival to be stopped due to Issaluk's passing.

Rankin recreation co-ordinator David Clark said he worked closely with the hamlet's recreation committee to plan the schedule of events for about a month leading up to the festival.

He said although there were a few days when Mother Nature didn't co-operate, most of the events went smoothly throughout the Pakallak Tyme festival.

"We had a lot of good volunteers this year and that makes a big difference in how well the events are run," said Clark.

"I had about 10 steady volunteers who made things a lot easier by allowing me to focus on co-ordinating the festival, rather than having to actually run each event.

"We had more people at events this year than I can ever remember, and everyone seemed to have a good time.

"We had a mix of cash and merchandise prizes, and although the events were competitive, nobody got carried away trying to win money."

Clark said having a large spring festival run successfully is the result of a lot of hard work by many people.

He said planning is very important to ensure people and equipment are at the right places at the right times, but nothing is more important than those who work so hard to make Pakallak Tyme a success.

"I met with the recreation committee three times just to work out the final schedule for Pakallak Tyme.

"The committee members were pretty involved and I really appreciated their help and input. But it's not just me and the recreation committee responsible for the success of the festival.

"It's a total hamlet effort from the finance ladies who get everything ready at that end, to municipal foreman Arnie Brown and his crew having everything in place for the race track and a big parking lot ready for the games at Johnson's Cove."