Canada Day celebrations in Medicine Hat set to return with two days of free activities at Kin Coulee

The June 30 festivities will focus on celebrating the city’s cultural diversity, with ethnic food vendors, dance performances and activities highlighting traditions from across the country.

City of Medicine Hat councillor Yusuf Mohammed said the event has steadily grown since it began, now attracting thousands of people to Kin Coulee Park each year.

“We envisioned this to be a family event where people come and feel safe, and they’re having fun. [It’s] a very rich cultural experience,” Mohammed said.

Among the featured attractions this year will be seven teepees created through the White Horse Riders Co. community teepee project.

Brenda Mercer, an Indigenous consultant with the White Horse Riders Co., said the teepees will be set up near the bandshell from June 29 to July 2.

Each will offer visitors an opportunity to learn from different cultural groups through crafts, teachings and shared experiences.

Mercer, who has led the project alongside community volunteers, said the initiative is about sharing Indigenous culture and creating space for learning and connection.

“We’re just really looking forward to everybody coming out and seeing what we’ve created over the last couple of months with the teepees,” Mercer said.

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READ: A teepee project in Medicine Hat brings community together to share Indigenous culture

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Organizers said celebrations on July 1 will include a free pancake breakfast, a citywide yoga session, sports activities and live music throughout both days.

The event will feature what Danroth described as one of Canada’s largest amateur skateboard competitions at the Kin Coulee skate park, drawing competitors from across the country.

“Skateboarders come from Victoria [and] Halifax to Medicine Hat for this competition because they collect Olympic rankings,” Danroth said.

Mohammed said organizers are also planning another large-scale attraction following last year’s drone show, though details have not yet been announced.

The festival is made possible with support from the City of Medicine Hat Vibrancy Grant, Heritage Canada, Alberta Community Initiatives and is organized largely through volunteer efforts and community partnerships, with more than 50 organizations contributing each year.

Danroth said months of preparation go into the two-day celebration, with volunteers contributing countless hours before and during the event.

“We are a non-profit, so we run this solely on people donating their time to an event like this,” Danroth said.

“It really is a great community event.”

Mohammed said the festival has always been built around community involvement, with organizers continuing to seek volunteers and sponsors to support this year’s celebrations.

“We get to put this kind of show on with thousands of people because many people join and contribute their work,” Mohammed said.

by Jett Schwaier

Canada Day celebrations in Medicine Hat set to return with two days of free activities at Kin Coulee

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