BABA YAGA Trail Adventure Jan 22nd and 23rd - Whitemud Park and Snow Valley Fri & Sat 2-9pm
Snow Valley - visit: www.snowvalley.ab.ca
The Baba Yaga Trail Adventure is a Winter Light project that integrates art, recreation, theatre and light installations to create an intriguing weekend of original festival programming at Whitemud Park. Baba Yaga was a huge success with audiences in 2009, and this year will be expanded to include more to see and do.
Based on the Baba Yaga folk tail, it follows the journey of a young woman named Vasilissa sent into the forest by her wicked stepsisters to get fire from the witch Baba Yaga, who lives in a house on chicken legs. Along the way she encounters 3 horsemen and many adventures… will she complete her journey to get the light?
The trail adventure itself is an animated 1.6 K story walk through a magically lit forest. The Winter Light lantern, light and theatre artists transform the night walk along Whitemud trail into a true quest.
The Winter Light camp is home base to explore the park, recreation and sledding - and the best place to gather around warm campfires for music, performances and free hot chocolate. There is lots of snow recreation to explore, including cross-country skiing, shoe shoeing, and new this year – a biathlon shooting range!
Nearby at Snow Valley, our host partner, you can check out their great ski hill programs – skiing and snowboarding.
Story Walk
Baba Yaga’s House/project concept (Memi von Gaza)
Music: Dave Clarke
Director/Story Development: Rebecca Starr
Stage Manager: Betty Hushlak
Recreation Activities Project development (Matt Decore)
Shooting Range (Alberta Biathlon, www.albertabiathlon.com)
Snow Shoes (River Valley Programs, www.rivervalleyprograms.ecsd.net)
Zipfy Sleds (Winter Light, www.zipfy.com)
Casting for Baba Yaga
Bradwag and Yellah - Harvey and Jana
White Horseman - Justin Strand
Red Horseman - Jennifer Peebles
Old Woman - Mary K Day
Black Horseman - Dave Clarke
Vasilissa - Anna Maria LeMaistre
Winter Camp
Welcome Tent & Free Hot Chocolate
Fire Monsters (Joe Renaud, www.strangelyartistic.com)
Campfires, music and fun… SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
DURING THE DAY (Friday and Saturday 2 -6pm) Winter Light Camp: Fires, hot chocolate, Zipfy sledding, snowshoeing. Check out the Snow Valley snack shack – rumour has it there will be pyrogies! | 3–6pm | Edmonton Fire Department Technical Rescue – High Angle demonstration,
winter safety, recovery demonstrations | | 3–6pm | Tug of War – Kids vs Grown ups! |
| | Rainbow Valley Campground: | 2–9pm | Free Cross Country Skiing (River Valley Programs) | | 2–9pm | Biathlon Alberta shooting range, featuring the new Eko Gun. Biathlon is an Olympic winter sport that combines competitive, cross-country skiing and small-bore rifle marksmanship. | Whitemud Trail: | 2–9pm | Enjoy the park trail with a self guided walk | | 3–6pm | Alpine Club of Canada – assisted ascent and repel demonstrations. Try it out! | DURING THE EVENING (Friday and Saturday 6 – 9 pm) The Baba Yaga Trail Adventure The guided story walk starts every 20 minutes starting at the trail head - the trail begins 150 meters north of the of the Snow Valley Chalet. (See map at Winter Light camp).
The animated trail adventure is 1 k each way, for a total of 2 K, and takes approximately 35 minutes to walk.
It is a safe manageable walk for people of every age. Please wear warm clothing and appropriate footwear! Bring a sled for the toddlers – sleds are better than strollers in the snow! Big Air Demonstrations at Snow Valley Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding- Hourly demos starting at 6 pm. Excellent view from the Winter Light Camp HERITAGE PROGRAMMING AT BABA YAGA
 | Host, Jordan Reves will extend a Winter Light welcome to visitors of the tipi. Jordan is of Metis decent from the Lac Ste. Anne area. While he and his daughter have lived in Edmonton for about four years, he continues to hunt and gather in the traditional way. He volunteers regularly for the Millwoods Community and is a Co- Chair for the Men’s Community Circle of Wicihitowin.
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| Melissa-Jo Belcourt Moses comes from a rich Metis ancestry and possesses a wealth of cultural skills, acquired from Metis and Aboriginal elders throughout Northern and Central Alberta.
MJ is currently employed as a gallery Educator at the Royal Alberta Museum delivering educational programs, giving tours and promoting Aboriginal representation. It is this combination of elements that has led Melissa-Jo to be invited to exhibit, demonstrate and teach workshops in appliqué beadwork, porcupine quillwork, moose-hair embroidery, fish scale art and more. In 2006 Melissa –Jo was invited to be part of the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival in Washington DC, where she demonstrated her art, and represented the Metis of Alberta. Through the Art Gallery of Alberta and Alberta Foundation for the Arts Melissa’s art work has been part of a travelling exhibition program entitled ‘Collectables’ 2008/2009. This year Melissa-Jo has received the Aboriginal Role Model ‘Arts Award’ 2009.
Join MJ and make your own miniature parfleche bag. The parfleche bags were used by the plains people of Alberta to store items such as clothing, feathers, dry meat, and pemmican. | 
| Ben Moses is a grad student in the Department of Education Policy Studies at the U of A further developing his thesis on Critical Indigenous Research Inquiry Methodology. As an artist and educator Ben focuses his attention towards cultural communication strategies and consultation. A member of Saddle Lake First Nations, Ben Moses credits his grandparents and family in fostering his drive in issues of Indigenous advocacy and cultural preservation.
Winter Light is pleased to present Ben Moses who will demonstrate some of the basic survival skills as used historically by First Nations.
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Produced by the Edmonton Arts Council
Download the BABA YAGA poster here |
Winter 2010 Events 
