Your guide to the 2024 NWT Culinary Festival

Back for a second year, the NWT Culinary Festival began in Yellowknife on Thursday and will run through to Sunday afternoon.

Established by the Territorial Agrifood Association, the festival is all about showcasing local food, culture and the culinary expertise of chefs, producers and farmers. 

This year’s theme is “Into the Forest,” and events include everything from midnight snacks to medicine walks.

Most of this year’s events are ticketed and, while some are already sold out, you can still get into the foodie fun this weekend.

Here’s a quick guide to what’s happening.  

Friday, July 26

From 12-2pm, stop by the Tastes of the North food store in downtown Yellowknife to pick up a free brown bag lunch prepared with only NWT-made, processed or harvested ingredients (first come, first served).

In the evening, there’s a Sip, Savour and Sushi event where participants learn how to make cocktails and sushi, though note this is sold out.

From 11pm-2am, the Midnight Snack Under the Midnight Sun event will be held at the Miner’s Mess Restaurant at the Yellowknife Historical Museum.

Chef Martin will be serving grilled local sausages, a sweet potato bar and carrot cake. Participants are encouraged to wear their best 70s hippy gear and shades as a DJ will be playing music from the decade. Tickets are $20 and there’s a free shuttle to and from the event site.

Saturday, July 27

Hop on the guided tour bus at 9am to meet some of Yellowknife’s local producers and garden community. Tickets are $15 and the shuttle bus will pick up guests in front of the fieldhouse.

Between the multiplex and the fieldhouse, you’ll find the Culinary “Feastival” from 10am till 5pm. This will offer a beer garden, food demos and talks, a food activity zone, and, of course, food vendors.

There are events with fun names like “macaroni art revisited,” “play with your food – donut on a string,” and “paint a giant berry on plywood.”

For the more serious foodies, there are also events like “intro to wine pairing” and “understanding Indian spiciness.”  

A day pass is $10 and a weekend pass is $35, which includes entry for both days and $25 in food coupons for the event.

If you want to embrace the festival’s theme you can join Carl Jr Kodakin-Yakeleya, of Ever Good Medicine, for The Hunter’s Medicine Walk from 1-3pm. According to the event’s description, the walk teaches you how to be a respectful harvester and hunter as well as medicines you can use for cuts, bruises, bug bites and bug repellent. Tickets are $45.

In the evening, there are three fine dining events to choose from:

• Chef’s Table: Continental Cuisine and Culinary Conversation. Guest chefs Dave and Matthew will be taking over Birchwood Café for a continental fusion menu and sharing the stories behind the food.
• Around the World in 80 Bites: Several of Yellowknife’s restaurants are coming together to share their cuisine, including Cai’s Kitchen, Chef Kaitlyn White-Keyes, Zehabesha, Sushi Café, Hidden Gem, Elke’s Table, Chews and Bites YK and Casa de Cobre. There’s also a cultural trivia sheet.
• Local Fusion: A fine dining event highlighting Indigenous cuisine. Guest chef Steph Baryluk joins local Chef Ibro of the Nova Hotel to co-create an Indigenous-inspired menu. There are also professional wine pairings by celebrity guest Linda Garson and soft jazz piano by Tony Procure (it’s fancy).

Sunday, July 28

The Culinary Feastival continues today from 10am-5pm between the multiplex and the fieldhouse. There’s a beer garden, food demos and talks, a food activity zone and food vendors.

At the storytelling stage on Sunday, you can listen in on tips for taking great food photos, how to start a food business in the NWT, the importance of Indigenous voices in Canadian cuisine, and innovations and the future of NWT food.

A day pass is $10 if you didn’t pick up a weekend pass (see above).

Carl Jr Kodak-Yakeleya is leading another medicine walk from 1-3pm. This one is called “Spill the Tea: The Top Medicinal Teas of Denendeh.” This walk will explore plants that can be used for food and medicine. Tickets are $45.