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Sleigh rides through Muskoseepi Park will be one of many activities going as part of the annual Maple Sugar Festival (Photo: ACFA Grande Prairie)
By Abby Zieverink
23rd Sugar Festival

Maple Sugar Festival set to kick off at Muskoseepi Park

Mar 4, 2022 | 12:17 PM

The 23rd Maple Sugar Festival is set to kick off Friday and Saturday at Muskoseepi Park.

The Association Canadienne-Franҫaise de l’Alberta Régionale Grande Prairie (ACFA) puts on the event at Muskoseepi Park every winter as a way to bring together the Peace Country’s francophone community and celebrate its roots and traditions. However, due to the pandemic, this is the first time Since February 2020 they have been able to host their annual festival.

Organizer of the event, Genevieve Savard says the raising of the Francophone Albertan flag will take place at 1 p.m. on March 4 and is used as a symbol to promote French culture in the region.

“The flag was created in the 1980s represents our French culture among an Anglophone majority and all our roots from our ancestors who came here and homestead the region.”

She explains that several dignitaries will be attending the flag-raising ceremony including from the City and County of Grande Prairie, FCSS, and school boards.

Once the flag is raised, celebrations will be able to get underway at Muskoseepi Park both on Friday evening and all day Saturday.

“Our Sugar Festival you can taste the maple taffy, and we will have a bunch of activities outside such as skating, and we have some horses so you can have a ride and then enjoy the French culture with a local artist,” said Savard.

Savard says the last Maple Sugar Festival in 2020 saw roughly 3,000 people across the region attend, which is why she’s excited to get the festival back up and running once again.

“We just finished with the Maple Sugar Festival and then COVID restrictions happened, so we are really pleased to host this event again.”

She encourages everyone to attend this weekend.

“Usually the Francophone community comes and sees us and also all the people across the region and the majority Anglophone are welcome to join our festivities.”

She says the Maple Sugar Festival costs $20 per family and will provide participation for all activities including an unlimited amount of taffy.

More information on the Sugar Festival can be found here.

by Abby Zieverink