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Festival keeps growing
2017 Inuvik Sunrise Festival attracts visitors from around the world

Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Thursday, January 12, 2017

INUVIK
Warmer than usual weather and a weekend full of events drew out big crowds for the 2017 Inuvik Sunrise Festival.

NNSL photo/graphic

Clyde Elanik gets dogpiled by Kohl McDonald, middle, and Gordon Lennie on top while playing on the ice at the 2017 Inuvik Sunrise Festival. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Roughly 500 people came out Friday, Jan. 6, to the Midnight Sun Complex for the first day of events, which included the A Taste of Inuvik food festival, drumming, dancing and a jigging competition.

The MSC was packed, and CBC's Rick Mercer was also in attendance.

"I think the drum dancing performance was really great," said Vicky Grégoire-Tremblay, Inuvik's economic development and tourism manager.

"People participated a lot, which is not always the case."

On Saturday, the fireworks were an even bigger draw. Gregoire-Tremblay estimated there were between 1,000 and 1,500 people in the ice village watching the display, not counting people watching from their cars or from home. 

For recreation programmer Steve Krug, the fireworks are "hands down" his favourite part of the weekend.

"Seeing the fireworks the last four years, this one was probably the biggest one for sure," he said.

"They were definitely bigger and longer than in previous years."

Just before the fireworks were set off, festival attendees had the treat to watch Incandescent, a dance project led by choreographers Kate Franklin and Meredith Thompson and performed by Inuvik residents.

"Meredith and I both agree, the performance could not have been more perfect," said Franklin afterwards.

"The weather was beautiful, the bonfire in the background was powerful and our cast was well-rehearsed and ready to give the performance their all. We loved how the audience formed a perfect rectangle all around us, and watched us so attentively."

She got a lot of good feedback from audience members and parents of children who participated.

"We feel so lucky to have been able to be in Inuvik this winter," said Franklin.

"We met incredible people, were part of a powerful dance experience and got to see a beautiful part of our country. We'll never forget our time in Inuvik."

She and Thompson weren't the only visitors. 

Gregoire-Tremblay didn't have exact numbers, and said the hotels were not sold out.

But she did rattle off a number of countries she knew people were visiting from to see the festival, including Australia, New Zealand and more.

She thinks the skating rink at the ice village and children's games and activities were a big hit, too.

Krug thanked the community for supporting the event.

"If people aren't there to help and participate in these events, these events wouldn't happen," he said.

"I hope everybody had a good time and took in what they could when they could. The days are only going to get longer and brighter from now.

"We're over the darkness and will be into the 24-hour daylight before a lot of people realize it."

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