Families gathered at Yellowknife’s Hank Koenen Park on Saturday for a foam party held in recognition of Emancipation Day.
Keneisha Buddoo, a teacher at the city’s École St Patrick High School, launched Foam Buddies YK last month with her son Daniel, who saw a foam party down south and wanted to experience something similar in Yellowknife.
“He’s like, ‘Can we please have that in Yellowknife?’ I said absolutely. Instead of being at the party, I told him, ‘Why don’t we bring the party?'” Buddoo recalled.
“Yellowknife is the life of the North. We wanted to add some spice to it, so we brought foam.”
The two found an opportunity to partner with the NWT’s Black advocacy coalition, BACupNorth, to celebrate Emancipation Day. The day, which is officially marked in Canada on August 1, commemorates the 1834 abolition of slavery across the British Empire.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
This year’s Yellowknife event took place in conjunction with the 2025 Old Town Ramble & Ride, which ran over the same weekend. By early afternoon on Saturday, children were already waiting for the party to begin.
Although Daniel was unable to attend the event because he is currently in Jamaica, Buddoo said there will be more foam parties in the future, such as at a Yellowknife Colour Run being planned for September 20.
Buddoo described the decision to start Foam Buddies as impulsive but added, “that’s my personality … we move quickly in terms of getting things done.”
“This foam brings the kids out wherever I go. It doesn’t matter if I start with one. They just come rolling as long as they see it,” she said.
“It shows the inclusiveness that is where we are today. We are inclusive. We want to bring our people together – as well as all the masses and just celebrate family, love, joy and freedom.”
All photos in this article by Aastha Sethi/Cabin Radio.
