Arts and crafts, salmon education demonstrations and interactive activites will all be part of the annual Horsefly River Salmon Festival coming up next week.
Set on the banks of the Horsefly River in Horsefly, this family, friendly free event takes place Saturday, Sept. 26 and Sunday, Sept. 27 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day.
“The Horsefly River Roundtable hopes for positive salmon returns this year, though it’s not known how many will make it here,” says event co-ordinator Erin Hitchcock.
“However, many sockeye have already been showing up in the Horsefly spawning channels, so their numbers look promising.”
Exhibits and activities will be set up along the banks of the Horsefly River across the bridge in downtown Horsefly on T’exelc (Williams Lake Indian Band) and Xat’sull (Soda Creek/Deep Creek) traditional territory.
The festival will include crafts for kids with Maureen Chappell’s Creative Hands.
People of all ages can join in painting a wooden salmon for the Stream of Dreams Project, or make a Japanese Gyotaku fish print.
This printing process was originall used by Japanese fishermen to count and record their catch.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans will be setting up a salmon education booth with demonstrations including explanations about the life cycle of salmon, and salmon anatomy with fish dissection demonstrations.
Representatives of Scout Island Nature Centre will be there with interactive activities and games for children about river invertebrates.
There will also be information displays by the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council (NSTQ); the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Invasive Plant Committee; and by Mount Polley Mine.
On Saturday only interpretive walks will be offered on the Horsefly River Riparian Trail.
Food vendors will include Cody Williams with his freshly made bannock and Soul Food Deck One by Nadine will have their food trailer set up next to the community hall offering snacks and meals during the day and Saturday evening during the Arts on the Fly music event in the community hall.
Meals will also be available down the road at the Anvil Pub.
Saturday night the festival includes a musical concert in the Horsefly Community Hall in support of the community’s annual Arts on the Fly event held in July.