The Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) has announced the return of the Yukon Riverside Arts Festival (YRAF) for its 2024 edition from June 13 to 16 in Dawson City
The YRAF is coming back for its 2024 edition this summer. The free, family-friendly event has a focus on offering something for everyone, with an artist market that features a range of different handmade crafts and artwork, as well as a hands-on demonstration tent where visitors can try a variety of artistic techniques themselves. The festival also offers live music from local and regional artists, and programming geared towards children.
“This is our twenty-fifth-year anniversary of KIAC,” said festival coordinator Sol Suarez. “There will be a few activities related to that all throughout the year in our different festivals, and we are working on a special activity for Arts Fest.”https://www.whatsupyukon.com/arts-entertainment/festivals/
The festival kick-off on June 13 will include a town-wide self-directed art crawl. Called The Gallery Hop, it promises to be a vibrant and inspiring event with businesses and community spaces transforming into art galleries for one night. Visitors are encouraged to interact with local artists and to explore the variety of different styles, mediums and techniques.
One highlight Suarez mentions is glass-blowing demonstrations and tutorials by the folks from Lumel Studios. Attendees will be able to participate in hands-on workshops where they create their own pieces while learning about the intriguing process of this artistic medium. This is one of many highlights across the weekend, Suarez noted.
“We’ll also have a mingling event on the Friday for all of the artists who created artwork [for the festival], and all the people in town who want to come and meet them,” she said. “On the Thursday is our art crawl, which has become bigger and bigger each year, and this year there is a bit more incentive to participate because we’re looking to concentrate it all into one evening. It’s a bit of a treasure hunt; everyone goes out the same night and hits all these spots.”
In tandem with the Gallery Hop will be a Hoppy Hour event wherein local Dawson City bars create specialty drinks just for the festival, giving art crawlers a chance to take a break for a cocktail or mocktail along their journey.
The festival’s Saturday night will include a show by Drag Me North, Dawson City’s drag collective, and there are more special surprises throughout the weekend that Suarez said she can’t quite spill the details on just yet, though she is able to mention that this year’s show at the ODD Gallery will focus on the history of the Dawson City League of Lady Wrestlers (DCLOLW).
Suarez is candid in admitting that the biggest challenge of putting on any festival is often securing funding, and YRAF is no exception. YRAF is made possible through the support of local businesses and community partners, as well as through funding from the Yukon government and the Government of Canada, and Suarez and her team are grateful for the support the festival receives from its sponsors.
For more information on the Yukon Riverside Arts Festival, visit yraf.ca or follow KIAC on Instagram and Facebook at @kiacyukon.
