Indigenous Night: An Extraordinary Finale to Our Summer Season
A special thanks to our incredible photographer for the wonderful pics: Griffin Hayter
On Friday, August 21, we gathered at Front Street Mews one final time for Indigenous Night, bringing our summer season to a close with an evening centred around Indigenous music, storytelling, art, food, and community. After a spectacular summer together, we couldn't have imagined a more special way to spend our final Friday!
Stories and Songs Take Centre Stage
The evening began with an acknowledgement by Tristan Wright, arts coordinator for the Qayqayt First Nation and granddaughter of the late Chief Larrabee, who welcomed the festival and shared stories of the site's importance to the Qayqayt community.
To open the fabulous performance lineup, our amazing host, Justin Abit, returned one final evening, helping us celebrate the end of an incredible six-night season with his impeccable moves and style!
We were also honoured to welcome back James Groening (Blue Sky), founder of downtown New Westminster's local business Native Art Renaissance Foundation, and artist from the Kahkewistahaw Band. After joining us last year, James returned to share his storytelling with our community once again.
Born and raised on Haida Gwaii and from the Yaguu’laanaas Raven Clan, Kung-Jaadee also joined our final-night lineup, sharing her cultural knowledge with us through music and fascinating stories.
To finish the evening on a high note, Métis Canadian singer-songwriter Norine Braun brought unique music and storytelling to our main stage, sharing her artistry with the Mews crowd.
Together, these artists gave our community an opportunity to do something especially important on our final evening: listen with purpose.
Gathering Beside the Fraser River
There was special meaning in ending Fridays On Front with Indigenous Night. Front Street Mews sits only steps away from the Fraser River, on the sacred and unceded lands of the the Qayqayt First Nation and many Halkomelem speaking peoples.
Long before colonial settlement and long before this place was given the name New Westminster, Indigenous peoples lived, gathered, travelled, shared stories, built communities, and maintained deep relationships with these lands and waters.
The Fraser River is more than the backdrop to our festival. Its banks have been gathering places for Indigenous peoples for thousands of years, and those relationships with the land and river continue today.
As an event that invites thousands of attendees to gather in this place every summer, it is crucial to recognize that history and those continuing connections, and giving talented Indigenous artists and storytellers a safe and welcoming space to share their own voices, cultures, music, knowledge, and stories with our community.
Closing our 2026 season in this way reminded us that celebrating the place we call home also means taking time to understand and honour the people and cultures whose relationships with this place extend far beyond the history of the city itself, and to never forget what reconciliation truly means.
One Final Food Truck Feast
And because this was still Fridays On Front, honey, nobody was leaving our finale hungry. Our final food truck lineup of 2026 featured:
Our friends at Steel & Oak Brewing Co. kept the local beer flowing for a final warm night, while Heartberry Soda provided refreshing soda pops for everyone to enjoy.
Thank you to every food and beverage vendor who joined us for our final celebration, and to all those who fed our festival-goers throughout the entire summer! 🍺🫐
Community Around Every Corner
There was plenty happening beyond our main stage, too.
New West Family Place returned for one final evening of family-friendly activities, creating opportunities for younger festival-goers to get involved in the fun, while Magic Max brought delight to kids and families with his tricks.
Our local business community was also represented amongst the vendors, through Downtown New West BIA members Grapevine Tattoo, who hosted free temporary tattoos, and Serpent Skin Tattoo Collective, who joined the evening with flash tattoos.
Thank you to all the artists, Indigenous makers, businesses, and vendors who joined Indigenous Night and helped make Front Street Mews a place to discover and support local throughout the season.
Coming Together For The Final Night
You've seen the stage, the food trucks, the vendors, and the crowds, but behind every Fridays On Front is a team working long before the first festival-goer arrives.
To our wonderful Downtown New West BIA team and our incredible volunteers: thank you for everything you poured into the final night. From setting up and welcoming attendees to answering questions, supporting vendors, keeping things running, and packing everything away at the end of another Friday, you helped make this season possible!
We're also grateful to the City of New Westminster for its continued support of Fridays On Front and to Douglas College, our presenting partner, for supporting another season of community celebrations in Downtown New Westminster. A special thank-you goes to our Indigenous Night sponsors, FortisBC and Reliance Properties, for supporting our final event of the summer.
And Finally… Thank YOU, Party People!
To everyone who attended our finale: Thank you for dancing, listening, cheering our performers, supporting local vendors, and gathering with friends to spend your summer Friday with us.
Watching Front Street Mews fill with people week after week is what makes all the work behind Fridays On Front worthwhile.
And if you’re feeling nostalgic and want to relive all the details of the past six nights, TOMORROW we are releasing a special final blog post recap of the season. So keep your eyes peeled on this Blog.
Talk soon,
Fridays On Front 💋
