YORKTON, Sask. — Residents will have an opportunity to explore arts, culture and heritage through everything from dance workshops and cooking classes to public art tours and a community-wide selfie project when Culture Days returns to Yorkton from Sept. 18 to Oct. 4.
Part of a national celebration now in its 17th year, Culture Days features thousands of free events across Canada aimed at connecting people with artists, cultural organizations and the stories that shape their communities.
One of the featured Yorkton projects this year is Express Your Selfie, a collaborative art initiative organized by Arts Guild Yorkton. Community members are invited to create artistic self-portraits using templates available through the Yorkton Culture Days website, with the finished works becoming part of a public exhibition.
"These are the people of Yorkton and they've created how they see themselves," said Lisa Washington, manager of community, culture and heritage with the City of Yorkton.
Washington said the project reflects the broader goal of Culture Days, which is less about the number of events offered and more about helping residents discover the organizations, artists and cultural traditions that make up the community.
"It's about creating those connections, because culture builds community," she said. "My aim with Culture Days is to have Yorkton residents and people understand our cultural fabric, our activities, our organizations, because Yorkton has a really vibrant artistic community here."
Yorkton has become one of the country's strongest Culture Days participants among rural communities, regularly ranking among the top centres nationally for the volume of activities offered.
This year's lineup includes an East Indian dance workshop, self-guided tours of Yorkton's public art and historical storyboards, a documentary screening hosted by the Yorkton Film Festival, writing workshops, heritage activities and family-friendly programming.
Food and culture are also featured prominently, with a Nigerian cooking class led by Jumaai Umar, a bannock and duck soup social hosted by the Yorkton Indigenous Friendship Centre and a henna art workshop that explores the history and cultural significance of the tradition.
The Yorkton Public Library will host several events throughout the celebration, including a Filipino craft workshop and a Truth and Reconciliation-themed book club discussion centred on The Education of Augie Merasty.
Nationally, events will be taking place in more than 300 communities this year, according to Culture Days executive director Shannon Bowler.
"We're looking at having more than 3,000 events happening all across Canada this year," Bowler said. "All of those are free or barrier-free access, which is a huge central point of Culture Days."
The events are organized by more than 1,500 groups and individuals, ranging from professional artists and cultural organizations to community volunteers.
Bowler said one of the initiative's goals is to remove barriers that might prevent people from participating in arts and culture by opening the doors of museums, galleries, theatres and cultural spaces free of charge.
"What we really hope, and what we see happen from this, is that people are motivated by these free experiences to continue to invest and attend events through the year, support local artists and support those organizations in the community," she said.
While major cities continue to participate, Bowler said smaller and mid-sized communities have become the backbone of the national celebration.
"Those communities really stand out in terms of how they embrace the idea of Culture Days and make it their own," she said.
Yorkton's diverse schedule reflects that community-centred approach, showcasing artistic, cultural and heritage experiences while creating opportunities for residents to connect with one another.
A full schedule of events is available through the Yorkton Culture Days online hub, which also includes activities taking place in surrounding communities.
"We hope people across Canada will take this opportunity to get out and celebrate those things that make our communities unique," Bowler said. "It's a little more special to know you're part of something happening all across the country at the same time."
