Back To Batoche Festival Kicks Off

Back To Batoche Festival Kicks Off

Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 16:33

 

 

Hundreds of people have descended on Batoche for the opening day of the Back to Batoche Festival.

 

The main-stage is dominated by fiddle players who are playing before a boisterous crowd.

 

Dozens of festival-goers are milling around the food area while several metis elders have gathered at the elder’s lodge for basket-weaving.

 

Ray Sochastew is a member of the Big Island Lake Cree Nation who volunteered to help with the event.

 

He says it’s good to see so many young people at the festival – learning about their heritage:

 

“So it can be passed down to the younger kids so it can be passed down as long as it can.  It’s good for the younger kids.”

 

Meantime Napoleon Arcand of Saskatoon has been coming to the festival for 20 years, he says he likes the entire atmosphere.

 

“The music and the food, everything is really good here.”

 

Tomorrow organizers will try to coordinate at least thirteen hundred people into a wooden spoon playing demonstration in an effort to break the world record.

 

Competitions in horshoes, bannock baking and slow pitch are also due to begin.

 

The Back to Batoche festival runs until Sunday.