'I was at almost every single event': Inuvik Muskrat Jamboree returns to full swing

Before the pandemic, Inuvik's Muskrat Jamboree had been running annually since 1957 without interruption. This year, it came back with a vengeance as people gathered to celebrate in Beaufort Delta style.

The jamboree opened Friday, with four couples vying to be named the festival's King and Queen. The honour went to Brian and Carmen Wade, who raised over $32,629.

"It's just a chance for us to do what we can to be involved," said Brain Wade, who is also a director of the Inuvialuit Community Economic Development Organization.

"It's the least we could do."

In all, four couples brought in over $70,000 in the quest for the title.

The money supports rental and food costs, as well as prizes, which this year amounted to almost $60,000.

The festivities this year included drumming and dancing, log sawing, skiing and dog sled races, needle and thread races, jigging, as well as an Arctic market filled with artisans and food vendors, and talent shows.

New this year, the jamboree and the Town of Inuvik teamed up to hire four youth video and photo content creators to cover the festival.

Inuvik's Daniel Larkin, who is in Grade 12, was one of them.

"To be honest just being involved in every one of the events is the biggest highlight," he said. "I was at almost every single event and looking at behind the scenes stuff, getting up real close in person, that was the highlight, I would say."

The events finish up Monday evening with muskrat skinning and skidoo races.

Those produced some of Larkin's favourite photographs.

"There was one with the skidoo races, the skidoos are going up in the air, getting them mid-air is pretty cool and also when they were jigging there were these little kids, they were super cute," he said.

He said the whole experience made an impression.

"I feel that it inspired youth," he said. "This is the first time that I saw that this is viable, like, people do this for their career."

Coming up next weekend is Aklavik's Jamboree followed the week after by Tuktoyaktuk's.