Executive Summary

Launched in 2014, Moments Fest Music started as a music festival hosted in Siksika Nation with the focus of bringing more diverse music programming to the community. Since the festival's formation, it has grown into a weekend long attraction with performers and attendees travelling to the community from all over North America. The festival has expanded its programming, including elder mentoring, skateboarding, pow wow and dance demonstrations. The festival focuses on being community driven by hiring local community members to work in key roles. The festival has a volunteer component offering mentorship with the community’s youth. The festival continues to grow and establish itself as one of the premier summer events in its region and beyond.

Location

Siksika Nation is a part of the Blackfoot Confederacy, home of the signing of the Blackfoot Treaty, commonly referred as Treaty 7 (1877). Located 1 hour east of Calgary at the Siksika Piiksapi Memorial Arbour grounds. The community has approximately 8,000 nation members and being the second largest First Nation in Canada.

Mission Statement

Moments Fest strives to foster a creative environment where its artists, attendees, crew, volunteers and community members can gather and build networks.

Core Values

  • Promote a safe and inclusive environment for everyone attending the event.
  • Provide mentoring and opportunities for youth in the community through mentorship, internship and job shadowing.
  • Address any misconceptions of First Nations communities by showcasing local musicians, artists and knowledge keepers.
  • Promote diverse music and artists without any limitations. The festival is not music genre specific (all forms of music welcome).
  • Continue to learn and grow, elder mentor centered but continue to learn from different perspectives, cultures through collaboration.
  • Continue to centre the festival targeted for youth, families and children, always ensure accessibility is prioritized. No one will be turned away regardless of financial barriers.


Festival Highlights

  • 2024 festival headlined by Toronto-based noise rockers, Metz and the “Only Pow Wow Punk Rock band in the world”, 1876 from Portland, Oregon. Along with direct support by Calgary folk icon, Amy Nelson; Vancouver punk rockers, Alien Boys, and Calgary Queer Feminist punk rockers Harsh.
  • 2023 festival headlined by Edmonton based pop punk band Calling All Captains and Tornoto alternative rockers, Single Mothers. The festival also featured doom rock duo, Mares of Thrace; Calgary rock mainstays Miesha and the Spanks and Bat Scratch (fronted by 7-year-old punk rocker, Robbie) plus 30+ bands from all over Canada and the US. The festival expanded into a record label releasing vinyl/cassettes for independent artists.
  • 2022: The festival return after covid 19 restrictions eased. After a 2-year pause, the festival returned with Calgary Death-grind rockers, Wake (Metal Blade Records), Canadian punk rock legends, Dayglo Abortions, local hardcore punk band No More Moments. Plus 20+ bands from Western Canada. First time expanding to a 2-day festival.
  • 2019: Hardcore punk heavyweights, Cancer Bats played a free show for the Siksika youth finishing off their fall western Canadian tour.


Key strengths

  • Run by an indigenous person.
  • Hosted on First Nations lands.
  • Elder, community and culture centered. Learning experience for non-Indigenous attendees.
  • Promotes Siksika Nation community to visitors.
  • Accessible admission (lowest charging festival in Western Canada-under $100). Strives to be barrier free, no one turned away if financial barriers restrict attendees from attending.
  • Wheelchair accessible.
  • Strives to hire local community members for key roles (security, production, hospitality).


Community Partners

  • Cousins Skateboarding has been a community partner for the last 3 years, setting up a mobile skatepark on site. Mentoring child and youth, and whoever wants to learn how to skatepark. Cousins Skateboarding strives to curate programming for Indigenous youth in Treaty 7.
  • Soloman Media: Eric Dieterich is an acclaimed artist/graphic designer based out of Calgary. He has worked with Moments Fest since the festival’s inception in 2014, developing the festival branding and marketing. Dieterich's unique art can be found at the Dickens, The Ship and Anchor, and Stomp Records.
  • Sled Island Music and Arts has provided space for Moments Fest to curate an Indigenous People's Day show at their annual festival every June in Calgary/Mohkinstsis. Sled Island is a music, arts, films, and comedy festival that spans over 6 days hosting over 250+ performers, over 30+ different venues in Calgary.
  • Purple City Music Festival in Edmonton invited Moments Fest to curate a showcase in September 2024. Purple City is a weekend festival hosted in the downtown core of Edmonton, formally Up+Dt.
  • Loud as Hell is a metal festival out of Drumheller, Alberta hosted at Dinosaur Downs Speedway every August long weekend. The event has attracted over thousands of metal heads internationally. Festival director Geoff Bourie has MC’d the last couple years of our festival and team have been active volunteers with the festival.
  • Alternative Waves Music Festival has been a festival partner for the past 3 years. Festival manager Keith Aucoin has been our production manager and main stage manager. Keith’s dedication has been instrumental in the operations of our festival.
  • Canadian Music initiative works directly with the festival handling all festival logistics (booking, artist facilitation, programming, volunteer relations and festival managing). Lead by Mark Russell who has dedicated his life working in the music industry being in a band, managing bands, running venues, booking shows, and most recently, graphic design. Mark is a strong ally for Indigenous people and dedicated his time working with Cousins Skateboarding. Mark has been working with festival since 2019 and has played a pivotal role in the festival’s growth.
  • Palomino Smokehouse is a local Calgary Establishment that has been a great supporter of the festival, assisting with booking headliners Metz in 2024 and a community sponsor over the last couple years.
  • Dickens: Local Calgary establishment that has been a great supporter, hosting fundraiser shows over the last couple years for the festival.
  • Blox Art Centre: Local community hub has supported the festival with hosting our 2025 fundraiser show.
  • Media: The festival has worked with photographers based out of Calgary and surrounding area to gather media assets. The photographers have also done youth mentorship, teaching youth in the community about photography and how to work a camera.


Opportunities

  • Collaboration with Tourism Alberta and Indigenous Tourism Alberta. Attract more visitors to Siksika Nation, promote the communities existing historical sites (example: Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park).
  • Continue to mentor youth into executive roles with festival.
  • Grow festival revenue to offset costs for the festival, revenue growth provides opportunity to secure larger scale headliners nationally and internationally. Expansion of production (staging, lighting and sound).
  • Continue to work with local knowledge keepers to expand programming (horseback riding, cultural meal preparation, traditional games, and elder story telling).