What started as a celebration of summer at Devonshire Beach continued to grow this weekend as Beachfest returned for its fourth year, bringing families, athletes, entertainers and community groups together for two days of activities at Lesser Slave Lake.

Beachfest 2026, which was held Aug. 8 and 9, featured a “Prehistoric Shores” theme, with activities including fossil digs, a dinosaur costume race, sandcastle building, volleyball, cardboard boat races and tug of war. The weekend also featured live music, food vendors, a beer garden, family activities and fireworks.

The event kicked off with a bang on Saturday with a beach walk and run, followed by Zumba and a full schedule of activities. Weather concerns in the days leading up to the festival largely gave way to favourable conditions, with temperatures reaching about 20 C Saturday and 21 C Sunday.

Saturday activities included face painting, henna, balloon animals, a sandcastle competition, a fossil dig, tug of war and the dinosaur costume race. DJ Omar provided music for the beer garden, while fireworks closed out the evening.

Local food options included Big Wienies, which stepped in as a last-minute replacement after Slave Lake Bistro was unable to attend, along with Susan’s Kitchen and Bestea.

Sunday began with sunrise yoga and a pancake race before volleyball, another fossil dig and the cardboard boat races. The Rotary Club also provided a free breakfast.

The cardboard boat race challenged participants to build vessels capable of carrying people across the water using cardboard and other materials.

Beachfest began in 2023 and has quickly become an annual summer event at Devonshire Beach. The festival was created to promote Devonshire Beach and the Slave Lake region while bringing residents and visitors together.

The Lesser Slave Lake Beachfest Society now organizes the event in partnership with Community Futures Lesser Slave Lake Region, with support from local organizations, businesses, volunteers and government partners.

That community involvement extended to a beach cleanup before the festival, involving the M.D. of Lesser Slave River, Alberta Parks, the Town of Slave Lake and the Lesser Slave Regional Fire Service. The M.D. encouraged visitors to dispose of garbage properly or pack out what they bring.

For families, Beachfest offered crafts, face painting, balloon animals, fossil digs and dinosaur-themed activities. More competitive events included volleyball, tug of war, sandcastle building, the pancake race and cardboard boat races.

For others, the appeal was simply spending time at Devonshire Beach, one of the region’s most recognizable recreational destinations.

Beachfest also gives local businesses an opportunity to reach visitors through food vendors, activities and Beachfest Week promotions encouraging residents to shop locally.

This year’s prehistoric theme added a playful element, but the festival’s purpose remained much the same: getting people outside, bringing the community together and making the most of summer at Lesser Slave Lake.

With favourable weather helping set the stage, Beachfest 2026 provided another successful weekend at Devonshire Beach and another step toward establishing a long-running summer tradition.

William Hetherington
Lakeside Leader