by Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

NNSL (Mar 11/98) - Anticipation hangs in the air like ice crystals on a suddenly cold day.

Yellowknifers, clad in parkas and muskrat hats titter with unseasonal excitement and reveal a brighter-than-usual glow.

"It's a rehash of Christmas all over again," says Dwight Hickey, executive chef at the Yellowknife Inn. "I keep looking at the function sheets and it's like, 'Oh my goodness.'"

The Arctic Winter Games start March 15 and run until the closing ceremonies March 21.

Souvenirs emblazoned with the now-familiar AWG insignia peer out from shop windows, enticing passers-by to open their wallets and stimulate the local economy.

Even the Arctic Art Gallery is gearing up, delighted at the looming prospect of hoards of Northern visitors with a likely appreciation of Northern art.

"I'm so used to dealing with southern tourists," says sales manager Dana Britton. "It will be nice to sell to people who have an appreciation, and base knowledge as well, of Northern art."

Though many will have heard of Inuit carving, not everyone knows how it is done, Brittany says.

That is why the gallery is displaying local soapstone carver Derrold Taylor on-site, demonstrating his technique.

And to attract others, there is a silent auction on now until just before the Games close.

"I'm personally excited about the cultural side of the Games," says Heather Keeth, manager of the Explorer Hotel gift shop. "I've got my tickets already," she says of the March 19 and 20 gala event featuring performers from around the circumpolar region.

That event will expose Yellowknifers to the nuances of musical styles ranging from the Taloyoak throat singers to oldtime fiddling. There will also be surprise hosts.

Still, Keeth says the gift shop itself does not have any AWG merchandise because the bread and butter of the operation is selling aurora borealis souvenirs to Japanese tourists.

"Japanese tourists easily spend a couple hundred dollars, and that's not counting optional tours," she says, before explaining how she expects Northern visitors to spend less per capita.

The week-long Games are not long enough or sought-after enough for the store stock supplies, she says.