This Friday, guests will gather at The Ridge to enjoy a winter wonderland, guided to help promote reconciliation. (ID 8187321 © Nobilior | Dreamstime.com)

By Alyssa Rudolph

winter celebration

The Ridge: a winter wonderland experience

Jan 5, 2026 | 4:11 PM

Residents in the Battlefords area are invited to visit The Ridge for a festive community winter celebration.

The Ridge, located south of Battleford, is the former site of the Battleford Industrial School. This Friday, guests will gather to enjoy a winter wonderland, guided to help promote reconciliation.

The general manager for the Economic Development Corporation said the event is held to celebrate the work done at the Ridge and to share Indigenous culture.

“We welcome people from near and far; what we promote is truth and reconciliation. It’s helping us to understand an Indigenous community more and how we honor and respect one another’s culture and the history,” Rowena Materne said.

Outdoor Activities – 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

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The public will have access to the event, starting at 4 p.m. During the outdoor activity time, visitors can enjoy access to the walking trail through the Light-Up Wonderland, sledding at the tobogganing hill, and ice skating.

There will also be free hot chocolate, coffee, donuts, and muffins available during the day.

Interpretive Center – starting at 6 p.m.

The interpretive center concession and gift shop will be open, and vendors will be set up.

“The lower level (of the interpretive center) is just a lovely meeting space with a cafeteria restaurant. Guests can buy snacks, but also, we’ll be serving spam and bannock, bannock dogs, and beef barley soup.”

“Upstairs is our big venue, our event center and what will be the gallery and the museum. It’ll be open to the public, and the vendors will be out selling ribbon skirts, ribbon shirts. We’re even having someone sell dried bison and jewelry, things like that,” Materne said.

Fireworks – 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Guests can enjoy a firework show at The Ridge, finishing just in time for the fashion showcase.

Fashion Showcase – 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

During the first half of the fashion showcase, visitors will learn about how National Ribbon Skirt Day started. Following the presentation, people will model their own ribbon skirt or ribbon shirt and explain why it is important to them.

“Many times what you hear is, ‘this is so meaningful to me because it was my kokum’s and it was a gift from them,’ or, ‘this was made for this special event and I wore it at a round dance,’ or something like, there’s always a special meaning behind the shirts and skirts,” Materne said.

Anyone interested in running a vendor table or participating in the fashion showcase is welcome to, free of charge. Contact The Ridge for any inquiries.

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alyssa.rudolph@pattisonmedia.com