The Frolics - A Winter Carnival

03/23/2026

✨👑 THE FROLICS 2026 ROYAL COURT COMPETITION 👑✨

Because of YOU… we raised an incredible $13,235.50 🤯🔥

From the bottom of our hearts — thank you to every single participant, family, and supporter who gave their time, energy, and effort to this fundraiser. 💛

This wasn’t just about totals…
It was about community, commitment, and showing up for something bigger than ourselves. And every single one of you played a part in making this a success. 🙌

👑 While this graphic highlights our division leaders, we want to be very clear:
✨ every participant contributed to this achievement
✨ every effort mattered
✨ every dollar made a difference

We are so proud of ALL of you. 💫

🔥 Congratulations to our Category Leaders — amazing work representing your divisions!

And to everyone who participated…
you are the reason The Frolics continues to grow, thrive, and bring our community together. ❤️

03/23/2026

🔥👑 CELEBRATING OUR FROLICS YOUTH 2026! 👑🔥

What a day!! From moose calling 🫎 to snowshoe racing ❄️ to nail pounding 🔨 — our youth brought the energy, the laughter, and the spirit of The Frolics to life 💛

At The Frolics, every child is a winner 🫶
And we’re so proud of all the participants who came out, tried their best, and had FUN!

👏 A huge thank you to our knowledge holders who guided the day and made it such a meaningful experience for everyone

🎁 Top point earners — check the poster 👇
Please email us at:
📧 [email protected]

to claim your prize!

🔥 Strong youth
🔥 Strong culture
🔥 Strong community

03/22/2026

🌟🔥 FROM ELDER TO YOUTH — THIS IS HOW CULTURE LIVES ON 🔥🌟

Fort Smith showed up STRONG this weekend at the Deninu K’ue First Nation Spring Carnival — and what a beautiful moment of legacy, pride, and connection it was. ❤️✨

🏆 Fuzzy Marie — knowledge keeper, culture holder, and proud member of Salt River First Nation — brought home an incredible:
🥇 55+ Jigging
🥇 Stiff Leg Jig
🥇 Traditional Dress
🥇 The Twist

👏👏👏

And right beside him… his granddaughter 👇

🌟 Bella Lepine — proud youth and member of the Fort Smith Métis Council — took home:
🥇 1st Place in Twisting

💥💥💥

This is more than wins.
This is generations walking together.
This is culture being passed down, lived, and celebrated in real time.

From Elder to youth — this is what community looks like.
This is what strength looks like.
This is what pride looks like.

Fort Smith, Thebacha — this is something we should ALL be proud of. 🙌❤️

✨ Carrying tradition
✨ Honouring our Elders
✨ Lifting up our youth

🔥 Congratulations Fuzzy & Bella — you represent us all so beautifully! 🔥

03/10/2026

🚗😂 FROLICS 2026 – The Great Rez Car Challenge! 😂🚗

One of the funniest moments from the Youth Northern Events this weekend had to be our very official Frolics experiment:

“How many kids can fit in a Rez Car?” 😆

A huge thank you to Mayor Dana Fergusson, who was gracious (and brave!) enough to bring her Rez car so we could put it to the test.

After a lot of laughing, squeezing, and kids climbing in from every possible direction…

🥁 The official Fort Smith record is: 17 kids in one Rez Car!

SEVENTEEN!! 🤯😂

The crowd was cheering, the kids were howling with laughter, and it was one of those perfectly chaotic Frolics moments that reminds us what these events are really about — kids being kids, community coming together, and making unforgettable memories. ❤️

To reward their incredible teamwork and flexibility, each participant received a certificate for a slush from Auntie’s Corner Store 🥤❄️

Safe to say… those slushes were well earned!

Thank you to everyone who joined in the fun and to Mayor Dana Ferguson for being such a great sport.

Fort Smith kids clearly know how to pack a car! 😂🔥❄️

03/10/2026

🌟✨ FROLICS YOUTH TALENT SHOW & DANCE ✨🌟

What an incredible evening celebrating the talent, courage, and creativity of our youth! 🎤💃🕺

From the youngest performers to the teens who lit up the stage, our community was treated to a night filled with music, laughter, dancing, and pure bravery. It takes a lot of courage to step onto a stage in front of a crowd — and every single young person who performed did exactly that.

💛 And for that reason — every performer is a winner.

Watching these young people share their gifts reminded us just how bright the future of our community truly is. Their confidence, creativity, and spirit filled the room with pride. 🌟

Congratulations to the prize winners in each age category — and a huge round of applause to every performer who took the stage. You made the night unforgettable! 👏

Thank you to the families, supporters, and everyone who came out to cheer on these amazing young talents.❤️

🌟 Keep singing. Keep dancing. Keep shining.
Your community is proud of you!





🌟✨🎤💃🕺

03/10/2026

🔥❄️ FROLICS 2026 – YOUTH NORTHERN EVENTS ❄️🔥

On March 6, our young competitors stepped forward with courage, laughter, and true northern spirit during the Youth Northern Events at Frolics 2026! 💪🏽❄️

From snowshoe races 🥾 to nail pounding 🪓, moose calling 🫎, sack races, three-legged races, and the legendary “How Many Kids Fit in a Rez Car?” challenge 🚗 — our youth showed us that northern traditions are alive and well in the next generation.

The energy, the cheering, and the smiles reminded us that Frolics is about community, culture, and creating memories that kids will carry for a lifetime. ❤️

🙏 Mahsi cho to our incredible Knowledge Holders who helped guide these events:
✨ Fuzzy Marie
✨ Donald Desjarlais
✨ Jenny Cu***ng

Your teachings help keep these traditions strong for our youth.

🏛️ A huge thank you to the Town of Fort Smith and their amazing staff for helping bring these events to life — especially Daniel Wiltzen, Emily Prescott, and Miss Patty Heaton for all the work behind the scenes.

🚗 Special thank you to Mayor Dana Fergusson for the generous use of the Mayor’s Res Car, which helped make one of the most memorable events of the day possible!

🤝 We are also grateful for the support of our partners and sponsors:
✈️ Air Tindi
🏛️ Town of Fort Smith
🧡 Salt River First Nation
💛 Tthebatthie Denesųłiné First Nation
💙 Fort Smith Métis Council
🦊 Red Fox Pharmacy

👏 And most importantly — to every young person who competed, laughed, tried something new, and gave it their all… we are so proud of you.

The future of our northern traditions is in very good hands. ❤️🔥

Mahsi cho, Fort Smith!

03/10/2026

🐾❄️ THE RESULTS ARE IN! ❄️🐾

The 2026 Thebacha Sled Dog Race hit the trails and what an incredible day it was! 🐕‍🦺💨 Teams powered across the snow in both the 6 Dog (8 mile) and 10 Dog (18 mile) races, showing the strength, heart, and tradition of northern dog mushing. 🏔️🔥

👏 Huge congratulations to all the mushers and their amazing dog teams who competed this year. The dedication, training, and teamwork it takes to run these races is truly something special!

🏁 Check out the poster for the official results and prize payouts!

🙏 A big THANK YOU to the Fort Smith Métis Council for their support in helping make this race possible. Community support keeps these northern traditions strong. ❤️

Thank you to everyone who came out to cheer, volunteer, and celebrate this incredible sport with us!

🐾 Northern tradition. Strong teams. Proud community. 🐾


🐕‍🦺💨❄️

03/09/2026

👑🔥 THE FROLICS 2026 ROYAL COURT COMPETITION – RESULTS ARE IN! 🔥👑

WOW Fort Smith… you showed up!! 💙

Together we raised an incredible $13,235.50 through the Royal Court Competition to support Youth, Adult, and Elder programming during The Frolics! 🎉🙌

✨ Congratulations to our prize winners:

🥇 1st Prize – $5,000 CASH
👏 Stephanie Dzentu

✈️ 2nd Prize – 2 Return Airfare Tickets to Edmonton
👏 Harold Fraser

🥉 3rd Prize – $1,000 CASH
👏 Misty Courtoreille

A huge shoutout to all of our Royal Court contestants who put themselves out there, sold tickets, and helped make this fundraiser such a success. Your hard work made a real difference for our community! 💛

The Frolics is all about bringing people together across generations — youth, adults, and elders — and this is exactly what makes our community so special.

Fort Smith, you should be proud! 🔥

👑✨

03/09/2026

🔥🎤 THE FROLICS ADULT TALENT SHOW & DANCE WAS AN ABSOLUTE HIT! 💃🕺

What a night! Incredible voices, amazing dancers, and a packed room full of people celebrating music, culture, and community. The talent on that stage was something special and the dance floor stayed alive all night long! 🎶✨

A huge thank you to our incredible musicians and Culture Bearers who kept the music flowing and the energy high all evening:

🎸 North Country Rock
✨ Gerald Poitras
✨ Shane Daniels
✨ Philip Willier
✨ Linda Duford

Your music brought people together, kept the dancers moving, and helped make this such a memorable night for everyone. These gatherings simply wouldn’t be the same without talented musicians like you sharing your gifts with our community. 🪶🎶

🏆 With over $5,000 in prizes awarded, the stage was full of talent and the spirit of The Frolics was alive and well!

To everyone who performed, danced, cheered, and came out to celebrate — thank you for being part of it. ❤️

We hope everyone had an amazing time!

🔥 The Frolics continues to bring our community together through music, laughter, and celebration.

03/09/2026

🔥❄️ FROLICS 2026 – ADULT TRADITIONAL NORTHERN EVENTS ❄️🔥

On March 7 & 8, competitors gathered at Roaring Rapids Hall to take part in the Adult Traditional Northern Events — a celebration of northern skill, culture, and community spirit.

Women, Men, and Elders competed in events that reflect the traditions of the North — from pole push, axe throwing, trap setting, tea boiling, bannock making, snowshoe racing, wood splitting and more. 🪓🔥🥾

It was incredible to witness the strength, laughter, and respect for our northern ways throughout the weekend.

🙏 The Frolics Committee is deeply grateful to the Knowledge Holders who helped guide these events:

✨ Fuzzy Marie – my main man! Your guidance and knowledge helped bring these events to life.
✨ Donald Desjarlais – for gathering the tools and equipment needed for competitors.
✨ Jenny Cu***ng – thank you for sharing your knowledge and supporting these important traditions.

👏 A special thank you to Donald Bourque for stepping in and helping exactly when it was needed most.

🏛️ Thank you to the Town of Fort Smith and their incredible staff, especially Daniel Wiltzen and Emily Prescott, for their support and for helping make these events possible.

🤝 We are also grateful to our sponsors and partners:
✈️ Air Tindi
🏛️ Town of Fort Smith
🧡 Salt River First Nation
💛 Tthebatthie Denesųłiné First Nation
💙 Fort Smith Métis Council
🦊 Red Fox Pharmacy

Special thanks to the Fort Smith Métis Council for the use of Roaring Rapids Hall — the perfect location for such an important gathering.

And to everyone who came out to compete, cheer, and celebrate — mahsi cho for making the weekend so special.

👑 We proudly present your 2026 Frolics Royalty:

🏆 Frolics Elder 2026: Fuzzy Marie
👑 Frolics King 2026: Greg Lafferty (Fort Resolution)
👑 Frolics Queen 2026: Mary Schaefer

Congratulations to all competitors for keeping our northern traditions strong. 🔥❄️

03/09/2026