Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous
The Festival History
The Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Festival is an annual winter festival that takes place in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. The festival is a celebration of Yukon's unique culture and history. It has been a big event in the community since 1945.
The festival began as a way to raise morale among the community during the harsh winter months. Whitehorse was a much smaller town and the isolation and cold weather was difficult for its residents. A group of locals came together to organize a winter festival with a variety of outdoor activities and events.
The festival grew in size over the years and has became an important event for the entire Yukon territory. Today, the Sourdough Rendezvous is a major tourist attraction. Bringing visitors from around the world to experience the unique culture and traditions of the Yukon.
Read more history on the official Rendezvous website.
What Activities Does It Have?
The festival takes place over several days in February and features a wide range of events and activities, including a snowshoe softball tournament, a beard growing contest, flour packing competition, dog sled races, snowshoe races, and a snow sculpture contest. It also featured traditional Yukon activities such as axe throwing and log sawing, as well as live music and dancing. The highlight of the festival is the Queen's Ball, where a Queen and her Court are crowned to represent the spirit of the Yukon.
Queen's Ball
The tradition of crowning a Queen dates back to the early days of the festival, when local women would compete in a beauty pageant to become the "Sourdough Queen". Today, the competition is open to all genders, and contestants are judged not only on their appearance, but also on their knowledge of Yukon history, culture, and traditions. This is the reason for my crown painting. My friend Robyn has been The People's Princess for a few years now. This is the beautiful crown that she wears to the events. I feel honoured that she let me paint it.
Watch the time lapse video of this piece coming together here.
Click here to read my personal love story on how I met my husband.
Megan Josol
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