What can you do on Canada Day across the NWT?

Here’s a guide to Canada Day events planned across the NWT on July 1, 2025.

This isn’t an exhaustive list, so we know we’ll be missing some! If you’d like your community event to be featured on this page, email our newsroom with event information and details.

Yellowknife

The Rotary Club will host bicycle decorating for children and youth wanting to “dress up” their bike for Tuesday’s Canada Day parade. The event will begin at 10am and is a BYOB (bring your own bike) event, but decorations will be provided. According to organizers, participation prizes will be available. Participants may be invited to join the parade, alongside their parents, depending on age and bike-riding abilities.

Yellowknife’s Canada Day Parade itself will begin at 11am, taking off on its new route. This year’s parade theme is “northern animals” and the Canada Day Mile will kick off the parade for the fourth year in the row.

The City of Yellowknife will host a Canada Day event at Somba K’e Civic Plaza following the parade, featuring food and craft vendors, music and activities.

The city is also participating in the 2025 National Canada Day Evening Broadcast, which will air live on CBC starting at 6pm MT.

That will include a live performance by Brenda Montana – an Inuk pop singer-songwriter and TikTok influencer from Rankin Inlet – and Crook the kid, a Métis hip-hop artist from Fort Good Hope.

The two artists have created a “special musical piece” for the occasion, which will be performed for the first time during the broadcast.

There will also be a Multicultural Community of Yellowknife Showcase, where people from all kinds of backgrounds will share their cultural dances, songs and fashion.

Events in Somba K’e Civic Plaza begin at 12pm. Get the full schedule on the city’s website.

Fort Smith

Fort Smith will have a Canada Day event at Conibear Park from 12:30-4pm.

The Canada Day parade will begin at 12pm and will be followed by the mayor’s welcome, a singing of the national anthem and the citizens’ awards ceremony.

After the awards ceremony, there will be a cake-cutting event and fish fry. The event will also feature live music, food and craft vendors, as well as other family-friendly events like street hockey, sidewalk chalk and more.

There will also be a bingo event to fundraise for Elder activities at the Salt River First Nation’s Business and Conference Centre, beginning at 6pm.

For a more detailed event schedule and road map, see Fort Smith’s website.

Hay River

Hay River will hold a Canada Day Parade through the heart of downtown starting at 11:30am. The parade will be followed by a flag-raising ceremony at the Town of Hay River fire hall.

From 12-3pm, a Canada Day event will be held at Bob McMeekin Park. The event will feature a barbecue lunch, a magic show, and other family activities. These activities include an inukshuk building contest, a nature scavenger hunt, and a fossil hunting contest.

Inuvik

The Town of Inuvik will hold its Canada Day parade at 12pm. The float theme is “Legion McInnes Branch 75th Anniversary,” with prizes for the top three floats.

A kids’ bike decorating contest begins at 4pm in Chief Jim Koe Park. A beer garden featuring live music will be open in the Legion parking lot beginning at 4pm.

Norman Wells

This year, Norman Wells will kick off Canada Day celebrations with a pancake breakfast at the Yamouri Inn from 9-11am.

The Canada Day parade will begin at 11am. Following the parade, a public barbecue and cake lunch will be held.

A Canada Day ceremony that features an award ceremony will begin at 1pm, with family events to follow for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening.

Here’s a detailed schedule for Norman Wells’ celebration:

The full schedule for Norman Wells’ Canada Day celebrations, posted to the town’s Facebook page.

Fort Simpson

Fort Simpson’s parade will begin at 11am, followed by a community event at the recreation centre. Beginning at 12pm, there will be a community barbecue lunch, and at 12:30pm the Open Sky Market will begin, featuring a bouncy house, chess tournament and other activities.

Beginning at 1pm, there will be a singing of O Canada and a cake cutting. Following this, family games such as a two-legged race, egg toss and egg race will begin.

At 2:30pm, there will be a free swim at the pool, and starting at 3pm there will be a Canada Day tournament at the golf course.

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