WHITEHORSE - No matter what nook or cranny you stick your head into at the Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, you'll find a Yellowknifer making their presence known.

In no place is this more obvious than the arts, where you can find creative Yellowknifers singing, dancing, sculpting and just showing up where you least expect them.

Lee Mandeville, right, and Norbert Poitras entertain eager jiggers at NWT House in Whitehorse. The house served as a sort of "NWT embassy," promoting the territory and giving Northerners a place to gather as well. - Adam Johnson/NNSL photo

From the very first day of the festival, Yellowknifers were sticking their noses in where they definitely belonged, as Aaron "Godson" Hernandez and Leela Gilday brought their diverse musical stylings to the opening ceremony.

"I was pumped from the get-go," Godson said of his performance, which featured a troupe of backup dancers known as Leaping Feets.

Though he claims nerves aren't usually a problem for him, Godson said his Games performance had him sweating.

"Just before the curtain, for a split second, I forgot all of my lyrics," he said, though once the music started, everything was all right.

Pat Braden joined Gilday on bass for a few of her performances, while taking his solo mix of jazz and blues on tour around the city. He said he was amazed by how professional the opening ceremonies were, as ATCO Place ñ a huge tent structure near downtown ñ was tricked out with top-of-the-line lights and sound.

"It was a rush, man," he said.

Far across the city, a strange performance took place at the Yukon Arts Centre. It was a post-modern theatre/dance/multimedia/rock opera, featuring the work of Tanya Tagaq Gillis and a host of Whitehorse talent.

While Tagaq is enough of a Yellowknife favourite to warrant mention of that event, Bryce Styan, of Yellowknife's Greasy Twigs, was also working as a guitar tech.

He said he was in the city to help out his friends, Whitehorse band Death in Venice, who served as the backing band for the performance.

"I was stoked to see that many minds together," he said of the collaborative effort.

While many Northern performers were relegated to opening band status at the cultural festival at ATCO Place, Steve Smith and his band Hindsite seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"I can't say anything bad," he said, giving his kudos to the small army of helpful volunteers and the phenomenal staging.

"It's an honour to represent the NWT," he said.

And in still another corner of the city, the sound of foot-stomping, hooting and fiddling could be heard bouncing along Whitehorse's Main Street.

The sounds came from NWT House, a "Northern embassy" where Yellowknife's Lee Mandeville, George Mandeville and Norbert Poitras offered up old-time country goodness for eager jiggers.

"It's a drop-in centre for artists, athletes and for visitors as well," said host Elaine Alexie, who is originally from Fort McPherson. She said the centre gave Northerners a place to gather, chat, check their e-mail, and, in the evenings, just party.

"The first week it was crazy here," Alexie said.

Well, of course. Remember who they're representing, after all.