The first annual Lifeways and Land Festival will run on the weekend of Friday and Saturday, June 2 to 3 at the St. Victor Petroglyphs site south of St. Victor.
The festival will be offering educational events and a full slate of other activities organized by the Friends of the St. Victor Petroglyphs, partnering with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Nature Saskatchewan. This coincides with Saskatchewan Tourism Week, and fits with the Friends of the Petroglyphs’ goals of protecting, and educating the public about the petroglyphs, their natural setting and the future of the site.
The rock carvings in St. Victor Petroglyphs Provincial Park offer a special place and opportunity for connecting with the natural world, both past and present.
At the festival, a guided driving tour of the Missouri Coteau Escarpment will take visitors back in time and stop at a number of locations to allow them to see the beauty of the landscape and experience the 500 to 700 feet of elevation change spread out in front of them, as far away as 30 miles.
Another event during the festival is the releasing of 36 Monarch butterflies. Visitors can let one of nature’s magical creatures walk on their hands, while they await their small bodies warm up and fly away.
The petroglyph site that is located almost at the top of the plateau is a special place of its own with a spectacular view, the unique sandstone outcropping, the carvings of human, bear and bison tracks and others, and the richness of the natural environment. These combine to make this site a unique historical place featuring the natural environment and First Nations’ use of the area. Both have created this outdoor art gallery into a magical, powerful and sacred location.
With flashlights or torches the Friends of the St. Victor Petroglyphs will try to simulate the low light of a small flickering campfire. The side-lighting is a good way to bring to life over 340 glyphs from out of the dark. This is the best way to truly bring the carvings to life before your eyes and to experience the carvings. Visitors are invited to stay to view the beauty of the heavens filled with sparkling stars. The evening also features a bison supper.
For supper tickets or more information about the event, call 306-642-5386 or 642-4016.
