2023 Yukon Rendezvous Festival

Long before the first Yukon Rendezvous Festival, before Whitehorse was Yukon’s capital and before the population grew to what it is today, Yukoner’s came together at the darkest, coldest and loneliest time of the winter. Coming together had a practical function as it was used as an opportunity to collect census data on Yukon’s residents. But more than that, it was an opportunity for everyone in the community to get out of their cabins, have a few laughs and visit with their fellow “sourdoughs” – the others who were toughing out the cold, dark winter.

​The Yukon has an inherent remoteness – a small number of people in a vast landscape. Because of this, Yukoners supported and relied on each other; they watched out for one another and were friendly to anyone new from “outside”. They developed an unspoken level of trust, a sense of community and a sense of home among people who weren’t necessarily, family. The gathering was a celebration of sorts and created an understanding among the residents that they weren’t alone – that they were all ‘in it’ together.

This is the essence of what it is to be a Yukoner – to be accepted, to know that you will have support in the toughest conditions and to genuinely feel part of something special. This sense of Yukon pride developed out of necessity because of the harsh reality of Yukon’s remoteness, but it is instilled in all Yukoners to this day and is at the core of what the Yukon Rendezvous is all about.