Welcome to the 2026 ‘Northbound!’ FAN Conference Blog! The Yellowknife regional group – most from Yellowknife but assisted by Edmontonians – has been hard at work on the next FAN Conference.
We’re excited to be welcoming FAN members to our beautiful northern city. We’re planning an exciting programme that makes the most of the arts and culture scene in the North. We’ll send more programme details in a later blog.
Dates: from mid-afternoon Thursday August 20 – before lunch Sunday August 23, 2026.
Our venue is Yellowknife’s premier hotel, The Explorer – check it out here: https://www.explorerhotel.ca/. Do note that while The Explorer is ‘the premier hotel’, accommodation is generally expensive in the north unless you’re camping, and most hotels will charge much the same. Booking details are in the conference registration form.
Getting to Yellowknife: there are two options, driving and flying. We’ll have more details in a later blog, But for now, if you’re driving, count on two days with a stop in High Level (best) or Peace River (makes the second day longer). If you’re flying, check various options on the main airlines (Air Canada and West Jet) since they can send you to Yellowknife on some circuitous routes. Canadian North flies only from Edmonton – it can be more expensive but a nicer experience on a smaller airline (they even feed you!).
Registration: please register as soon as possible! We need 30 people for this to go ahead. It’s also important to book your hotel room as soon as possible because aurora viewing seasons starts in late August, and rooms do get booked.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Sounds Great. Five of us have booked in at the Embleton House B&B for 7 nights.
Embleton is great! that should be fun. I knew the long-time owner, though I think she might have sold it a few years ago.
It sounds great, looking forward to seeing the north for the first time.
Oh, it will be nice! We will do our best to showcase what we love about the North as much as possible.
Thank you for the updates…booked and so looking forward to this northern adventure.
Great! see you there!
Also all booked, super looking forward to being the party room again or visiting the Alberta girls party room, lol.
Great!
Party room?? Do we bring wine??
Me too, looking forward to the party rooms, and a great week of art and learning.
I’m interested in going too.
I hope you do. It will be fun.
Excited to get everyone to Yellowknife and to see my hometown. Everyone in Yellowknife is working hard for planning and it is looking to be a really great time networking, being creative and exploring North of 60.
Booked and excited to visit the ‘North’ for the first time.
How are the numbers so far? I’m signed up and really want to go!
We’ve got the minimum to make the conference ‘go.’ So it’s happening!
Hermina, would you be so kind as to let us know what the size limit is for the “Northbound” art exchange piece is.
Cheers,
Sue
Artwork Exchange info was posted in the Exhibits section today! Time to start making something fun and new to share and give away.
Price is only $300 something from Westjet today!