The Yukon Riverside Arts Festival is back in Dawson City, Yukon, from June 11 to 14, 2026, bringing four days of free, family-friendly art and community activities to Riverside Park. Organized by the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture, this is the festival’s 26th year. Originally held in August during Discovery Days weekend, the festival moved to early June in 2022 — a shift organizers hope will become permanent.
A highlight of the festival is the Hän Ghả Chukėt Träätätsey Artist Market, held at the Picnic Shelter in Riverside Park along the Yukon River. The market gives visitors a chance to meet local artists and artisans and buy their work directly. Festival organizers are now accepting vendor applications from artists and collectives who want to take part.
Along with the market, the festival includes live music, hands-on workshops, art demonstrations, exhibitions, a gallery hop, kids activities, and public art installations. Everything is free and open to everyone, making it a welcoming way for residents and visitors to connect with the arts.
KIAC runs the festival from its home in the Dënäkär Zho building on Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in territory. Moving the festival to early June helps it stand apart from other summer events and aims to draw more people to Dawson City at a different time of year. Organizers hope the June dates become permanent.
