Slave Lake’s Heritage Days brings food, music, and cultures from around the world

The second annual Heritage Days Festival brought together hundreds of people from across Slave Lake and the surrounding region, celebrating cultures through food, music, dance, and community.

Held Aug. 1 at the Northern Lakes College gymnasium, the festival welcomed more than 450 people – nearly doubling last year’s attendance of about 250 according to the organizers.

Organizers say the turnout reflects the community’s growing interest in celebrating the area’s cultural diversity.

Residents of Slave Lake take part in the Heritage Days Festival fashion show while wearing traditional clothing representing their cultural backgrounds. The fashion show was one of the festival’s highlights, celebrating the diversity and pride of the community. Photo courtesy of Abby Quimson

“It was very successful,” organizer Moe Mouallem says. “We received a lot of positive feedback during and after the event. It was well organized, and the group of volunteers did a tremendous job making the experience as good as possible for our guests.”

Matthew Holden, who is also one of the main organizers of the event, says seeing the gym fill throughout the afternoon made months of planning worthwhile.

Ellie Quimson-Cruz (left) and her mother, Abby Quimson (right), wear traditional Filipino attire during the Heritage Days Festival. Their participation highlighted the Philippines’ rich cultural heritage as part of the community celebration.

“You just never know how many people are going to show up,” Holden says. “When we hit 400 people, we were like, ‘Whoa, this is amazing.’”

Visitors enjoyed performances by A.B. Taekwondo Club, Edmonton Métis jig dancer, The Métis Prince, the Punjabi Folk Dance Academy, a Jamaican dub poet, and a multicultural fashion show.

Edmonton Métis jig dancer, The Métis Prince performs during the Heritage Days Festival. His energetic performance drew applause from the crowd and was one of the day’s most popular entertainment highlights.

The festival also expanded its food offerings with three new vendors. Holden says the Mennonite dishes from Korner Kitchen in
Kinuso was really popular, while Mouallem notes Cedar Delights remained busy throughout the day and sold out of many menu items before the festival ended.

For Mouallem, one image captured the spirit of the event.

“Many people walked around with one large plate and purchased food from each vendor,” he says. “There could be Lebanese salad, Filipino noodles, Indian chicken, Mennonite desserts and a taco all sharing one plate.”

Heritage Day Festival participants pose for a photograph while wearing traditional Indian saree. From left are Sahejpreet, Jasvir, Jasleen, Japjee, and Jasnoor, celebrating their heritage while sharing their culture with the community. The five women share the last name Kaur, but are not related.

One guest described it as “Canada on a plate.”
Beyond the food and entertainment, both organizers say the festival’s goal is to bring people together.

“The purpose of the festival is to make sure we’re humanizing all of our neighbours,” Holden says. “We don’t always have the opportunity to learn about people from different cultures. These festivals show what we have in common – we all love our families, sharing food, music and dance.”

Young participants wear traditional clothing during the Heritage Days Festival.
From left are Saira Sukhraj, Erika Holden and Kayal Megan Adhit, celebrating the community’s cultural diversity.

Mouallem says the event’s single venue encouraged conversations among people who may not have met otherwise.

“Large tables and a busy venue meant many people shared a table with strangers,” he says. “That’s what makes this event special.”

Members of AB Taekwondo Club showcased their martial arts skills during the Heritage Days Festival at Northern Lakes College on Aug. 1. The athletes entertained the crowd with a demonstration of kicks, forms, and disciplined techniques. Photo courtesy of AB Taekwondo Club

An Indian family showcases traditional clothing during the Heritage Days Festival in Slave Lake. From left to right: Nishanth Bambila, Veena Seshadri Ramkumar, Bhavani Balasubramanian, Girija Bambila, Shanthi Ganesan, and Pritheekha Ganesan

Planning for the festival began months in advance, with organizers preparing for potential challenges before the event. Although the gym reached capacity at times and some guests left early to make room for others, Mouallem says the situation showed the festival is continuing to grow.

Looking ahead, organizers hope to make Heritage Days even more diverse.

Volunteers from Korner Kitchen in Kinuso stay busy serving Mennonite dishes throughout the Heritage Days Festival. The booth quickly became one of the day’s popular stops as attendees explored a variety of cultural foods.

Visitors line up at the Cedar Delights booth as volunteers serve Lebanese cuisine and traditional sweets during the Heritage Days Festival. One of the vendors shares Lebanese desserts with Pat Potvin as guests sampled foods from cultures around the world.

Holden says he is already reaching out to Indigenous performers, Irish dancers, African entertainers and other cultural groups for next year’s event, while Mouallem says larger venues, including the possibility of moving outdoors – are being considered.

They also encourage more volunteers, sponsors, and cultural groups to get involved as the festival continues to expand.

“This may not be the biggest event on Slave Lake’s calendar,” Mouallem says, “But we hope it becomes the most important – bringing people together to share tables, share food, and share stories.”