Indigenous celebrations have taken place at the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park in the past but none will measure up to the activities planned for Friday, Aug. 23.

Drumming, singing, dancing hourly and interpretive walks are all part of the celebration of the rich heritage of our Indigenous People that runs from 12 noon to 4 p.m. on Friday. There's also traditional games, hands-on learning, an art exhibition created by Indigenous youth and local vendors.

The event is free for all.

"It's a very massive celebration with a lot of different things constantly going on at the same time. One thing to look out for is our main stage where we'll have traditional dancing, drumming, singing, a little bit of storytelling and blessings, all from Stoney Nakoda.

Elders will be explaining the significance of each dance being performed. Several will also be floating around the grounds to answer questions or to provide further details.

Traditional artwork and handicrafts will be offered by vendors and they'll also be food available for purchase.

Parking is limited and people are encouraged to carpool or signup online for a free shuttle service available from both Morley and Cochrane. Advance registration is required. The shuttles leave from the FCSS Building, 209 2nd Ave. W. in Cochrane and from the Tribal Band Office in Morley.

Sarah Parker, executive director of the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation (GRPF), says the day is a chance to celebrate the rich relationship the park has with the Stoney Nakoda people. Other partners in the day include the Town of Cochrane, Rocky View Schools, Cochrane Tourism, Alberta Parks, the Cochrane Foundation and corporate sponsors Telus, Garmin and Urban Systems.

"We are aiming for a much larger and much more exciting event than ever before," says Parker.

"We've always wanted to dig deeper into the rich Indigenous culture found here at the park and have our foundation focus on that piece of educational possibilities."

In part, the federal government's Truth and Reconciliation Report speaks to the need for everyday people to build relationships and a sense of understanding and similarities between people. 

"We are hoping that members from the public near and far will come and learn things they didn't know, meet people they've never met before. We are hoping to bring the spirit of reconciliation to life through learning, making connections, gratitude and of course fun. We have hundreds of kids coming so I think the fun will be easily had."

The event will be held on the Yodel Loop that can be easily spotted from the park's visitor centre. Along the way, visitors can view signs prepared by Glenbow Elementary School students that feature animals and plants found in the park. With the help of a Stoney Nakoda elder, Stoney names were included with the art.

"Members of the public will be able to follow this interpretive sign down and back from the event and learn some Stoney names they may have never known before," she says.

After flooding and heavy rain drowned out the original date of June 21, Indigenous Peoples Day,  GRPF public programmer Nathan Foy says they were determined to reschedule.

"We didn't want to completely cancel the event because after building this great relationship of reconciliation with the Stoney Nakoda People we realized that every day could, in fact, be Indigenous Day, so it didn't really matter what day we hosted it in the summer as long as we still went ahead."

"We're definitely ready for it. This is the first full-fledged massive celebration that Cochrane and the surrounding area has been offered. Hopefully, this is the first of many years to come."