Volunteers and town staff are busy preparing for the Town of Inuvik's first community-wide celebration of the year.

The Sunrise Festival is set to kick off Jan. 10 and run until Jan. 12, marking the end of the month without sun.

"We are thrilled to announce the upcoming Sunrise Festival 2025, an exciting event that promises to be a vibrant celebration for our community," wrote the organizers on their social media feed. "A lot of fun activities to take part in."

Activities will kick off Friday evening with a glow-in-the-dark skate at Roy Sugloo Memorial Arena, with the much-loved 'Taste of Inuvik' feast starting at 6 p.m. The Inuvik Drummers and Dancers will perform around 7:30 p.m. They hope to keep the crowd dancing for a good hour or longer.

The next day, festivities will get underway with the Arctic market from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. at the Midnight Sun Complex. Following the market, there will workshops held throughout the afternoon at the complex. Outdoors, an ice park will be carved and a photo booth set up for festival-goers to enjoy throughout the weekend at Chief Jim Koe Park.

The traditional bonfire and fireworks display will be held at Twin Lakes, with the bonfire lighting up at 6 p.m. and the fireworks going off at 7 p.m.

Sunday will start with a pancake breakfast at the Royal Canadian Legion McInnnes Branch 220, starting at 9 a.m. and continuing until noon. Elders will be on hand at Chief Jim Koe Park to tell stories throughout the afternoon. A snowshoe race is set for 3 p.m.

The festival will conclude with a lantern workshop at the the Midnight Sun Complex and a lantern procession to Chief Jim Koe Park at 4 p.m.

Inuvik goes a full 30 days each year without sunlight, with the last day of sun being Dec. 4.