A popular Saskatchewan Métis festival is ending.
The operating board of the John Arcand Fiddle Fest announced there will be no fiddle fest this upcoming summer and they plan to wind down the organization by next winter.
“With heavy hearts, we announce that we have come to the end of the John Arcand Fiddle Fest,” read a statement posted by the fiddle fest board. “This was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but as an organization, we need to recognize the wishes of our founder, John Arcand and his family.”
The fiddle fest has run for over two decades featuring several Métis cultural traditions.
In true fiddle fest fashion, the board posted a poem to their website thanking everyone for their support over the years. The poem can be found here.
The board says they plan to set up a scholarship fund with any remaining assets after the closure to continue John Arcand’s legacy of supporting young fiddle players.
(Photo courtesy of the John Arcand Fiddle Fest Facebook page.)