No matter what the temperature says, Batoche will be the hot spot in the province this weekend.
Back to Batoche begins on Thursday, marking the start of the biggest outdoor Metis celebration, with over 40,000 participants expected to be in attendance throughout the festivities.
The event began over 50 years and since its inception, Vice-President of Metis-Nation Saskatchewan Michelle LeClair says the event has evolved from a small crowd to now a large gathering that celebrates music, history, food and sporting events.
There will be a variety of vendors that will be on site at Batoche according to LeClair.
“People will have the opportunity to share in our culture, our music.”
One addition that was made last year was the installation of a new playground that was very popular with the kids.
Even though the weekend is a celebration of Metis, LeClair noted that the weekend is open to everyone.
“It’s great to see new Canadians enjoy our cultural and traditional ways of life, through our music and our food.”
Last year, LeClair said there was a couple of France that made a stop at last year’s Back to Batoche after reading about the event in a Tourism Saskatchewan magazine while they were visiting in Calgary.
There will be representation from other Metis groups from the country that will be featured during the weekend.
The Gabriel Dumont Lodge that opened its doors earlier this month will be used as the Elders Lodge throughout the weekend, with various activities taking place there.
More information about Back to Batoche, including the performance schedule and other important information can be found by clicking on the link. https://metis-gathering-production.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/cangeo/metis-gathering/current/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/11113344/24MNS-0086-B2B_Program-Map-Web72.pdf