INUVIK
Organizers of this year's Sunrise Festival - only a month away - are putting the call out for help.

Fireworks light the sky at the Sunrise Festival near Boot Lake last year. This year's activities will be held at the boat launch at Twin Lakes instead. - NNSL file photo

"It's a community event. The more people, involved the better," said organizer Ray Solotki. "Everyone is welcome."

While there are the standard activities already planned - the ice road village, snow and ice sculpting, and many others - Solotki said what the festival needs most is vendors.

There are several events, including the Taste of Inuvik to kick off the first night, in need of more people selling food. She was keen to add that people need not be restauranteurs to be vendors; community groups and individuals are more than welcome to come out as well.

"People always say there isn't enough food," she said. "There are so many ways to get involved. If you want to come out and sell chilli for three hours on the Saturday, that's great."

With more planned attractions at the village, Solotki said she hopes more vendors will see the opportunity to serve what will hopefully be the biggest festival crowd yet. Any groups looking to raise funds for their own purposes are invited to participate.

"This is a community event," Solotki said. "It always has been. We don't want anyone to feel like they're not welcome."

Jackie Challis has organized the festival the past three years on behalf of the municipality. She said the past few have seen the greatest increases in participation.

"I think it was because we listened to the community," she said. "We tried to have more food, more activities, and more places to warm up."

Challis did admit that it's a challenging time of year for many people and families, what with the holidays only wrapping up the week before the festival and many people being out of town at the time. Despite all that though, she said people she has been talking to are excited about this year's event.

"Many hands make lighter work," Challis said. "I think that's the way things go in Inuvik."

While the former organizer has taken a step back from the festival itself along with her new job, she said she wishes it the utmost success and will definitely be there taking part. In addition to the ice road village and activities there, Solotki said there would also be an enhanced version of the Arctic Market. People will not only be able to buy things, but also participate in workshops to learn to make some of the crafts on hand.

"We want people to come out," she said.

"If no one shows up, there is no incentive for the town to increase the budget so we can keep growing the festival every year and making it better and better."

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