Fireweed Festival Returns to Fort Smith, N.W.T., bringing music, art and community together

The Fireweed Festival is making a highly-anticipated return to Fort Smith this weekend, promising a vibrant celebration of music, art, and community spirit.

After being cancelled last year due to a wildfire evacuation, the festival is back with a full schedule of events that will showcase the talents of the South Slave region and beyond. 

"All the pieces are coming together, and everyone is getting pumped for it," said Jolene Bourque, a festival organizer. "We're very excited to have Fireweed Festival again back in Fort Smith this year."

The festivities kicked off on Thursday and Friday with a youth fiddle camp. Friday night lights up with live music at the local pub, Dirty O'Fergies, and a teen dance at Anna's Restaurant.

Saturday and Sunday, the festival will be showcasing music, food vendors, and events all day at Queen Elizabeth Territorial Park. The festival has also partnered with the South Slave Art Revival, so guests can expect to see artisan tables. 

"We're ready to put it all together," Bourque said. "We have about 35 vendors from really, across the South Slave right now. I think even as far as Kakisa and Fort Providence coming in."

The festival will feature live music from 45 musicians, including 13 different bands or solo acts. The event will also include a vintage wheels showcase with vintage cars, trucks, motorcycles, and boats.

"It's just exciting to see it all happen," Bourque said. "We have people who played the festival 20 years ago coming back to see old friends and jam together."

Bourque is referring to the South Slave Friendship Festival — a staple in the community for over 20 years.

A fire in 2013 at the Fort Smith arena, which held their most profitable event called the Super Shaker, forced the committee to cancel the event. Other than a smaller friendship festival in 2018, the event never returned.

Bourque also previously organized the Friendship Festival.

"The Friendship Festival brought so much joy to our community," she said. "It was a time when we all came together to celebrate the arts and each other."

'The best experience of my life'

One of the performers at this year's festival came to Fort Smith with his band Mother Divine for the first time in 1999 for the Friendship Festival. Jamie Kikoak-Chabun said the experience left a lasting impression on him.

"It was my band's first road trip, and in those three days we spent here, I kid you not, we must have had three hours sleep, and it was the best experience of my life," he said.

It was such a great experience that he and his band mates, who are also his brothers, eventually made Fort Smith their home.

"I stayed because of how many people were into art, how many people were into music, and how cool the kids my age here were," Chabun said. "We were totally blown away with the music scene here in town."

Chabun said losing the festival was a tough blow to the music scene and he's happy to see the Fireweed Festival rise up in its place and bring old friends together and highlight the talent in the South Slave.

"It was felt very deeply, I think, by all the musicians in town, because that was our yearly camaraderie," he said. "It's really exciting to have the festival vibe back in town."

Chabun, whose band State of the Art has now been a fixture in the community for years, is looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and delivering memorable performances at the Fireweed Festival.

"It's a feeling of excitement for everybody, because we get to see all of our old buddies that don't live here anymore," he said.

"All of the Noel Mackenzies and Norm Glowachs of the world, they get to come back to Smith and play kick-ass sets."

Chabun said he is hoping his band can take all the work they do in rehearsal and create a magical set for both them and the audience.

"That's what we're really in it for, is to perform and perform well, and to just give something memorable to the people, because that's what music is about," he said.

Chabun and his company Lumen Supply Tech is also partnering with Fireweed Festival to honour the late Howie Benwell. Benwell, a local musician, died in a plane crash in the community in January 2024. 

"Howie touched our lives in countless ways, especially through his music. Whether it was at live gigs, jamming sessions in garages and living rooms, or during our unforgettable 12-week music program in 2009, Howie's love for music united us all," they wrote on social media.

Organizers are taking nominations for a young musician who is passionate about music and dedicated to playing. The winner will receive a bass guitar rig from Lumen Supply Tech. A winner will be chosen during Saturday's events.

Bourque said she hopes everyone comes out for a weekend filled with music, art, and community bonding.

"There's a lot of talent here. There's a lot of people who want to play," she said. "We're just trying to set the stage for people to come back out and enjoy live music and Fort Smith again."