The annual Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Festival is already in full swing.

Snow carvers are working on their creations in the Air Canada International Carving Challenge in the parking lot of the Elijah Smith Building.

As well, many kids enjoyed a sunny day off school today taking in events like the Slide and Glide at Shipyards Park or the Northwestel Spelling Bee in the festival tent on Main Street.

Other kids who have the day off school may have been on their way to Whitehorse Elementary School anyway for the Family Fun Fair, which began at 1 p.m. today.

In an interview Thursday afternoon, Rendezvous president Marj Eschak said in looking for feedback about the festival last year, the organization was asked to start the kids' events earlier.

With the addition of Shipyards Park to the city, Rendezvous organized the first Rendezvous Slide and Glide for today, which got underway at 11 a.m. and ran until 2 p.m. It featured organized games, skating and sliding.

'It's just going to be fun, fun, fun,' Eschak said.

She pointed to another new event being held at Shipyards Park today: the Skills Canada cardboard toboggan race. Contestants assembled their 'toboggans' at F.H. Collins Secondary School at 9:30 a.m. for the race at the park at 1 p.m.

Eschak said she can only see the new events at Shipyards Park getting bigger in the coming years.

Also new this year are the events being hosted by the Straight Arrow Serenity Club. They include the Rendezvous Road Hockey Tournament getting underway at 7:00 tonight and running until 10:30 p.m.

It will continue tomorrow night from 7:00 until 10:30. There will also be board games played in the main tent on Main Street.

Eschak noted the events organized by the Strait Arrow group will be great for those not into the bar scene.

There will also be a number of performances being held around town. They include the Garter Girl Theatre Cabaret and Burlesque running at 8:00 tonight and Saturday at the Westmark Whitehorse Hotel, and the Bell Fiddle Show, featuring Grand North American Fiddle Champion Ivonne Hernandez at 7:30 tonight at the Yukon Arts Centre

For those who want to take in the bar events around town, the annual hairy leg competition and beard growing contest will be judged at the Capital Hotel at 7:00 this evening.

On Saturday night, the Sam Knighting will get underway a little earlier than usual, at 5 p.m. at Lizard's Lounge.

The location and time of the crowing was changed to accommodate the Canadian Idol auditions being held at the High Country Inn's Yukon Convention Centre beginning Saturday morning.

As of Thursday, three of the Sams were contending for first place. Eschak was hopeful the talent/no talent show at the Capital last night would help separate the close scores.

Following the Sam knighting, those taking in the festival can find out this year's Rendezvous Queen during Saturday's crowning festivities.

They'll begin at 7 p.m. at the Yukon Arts Centre. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for youth and seniors.

'We have all the favourites,' Eschak said.

Sled dog races, the Family Fun Fair, pancake breakfasts, the annual Pet Parade, competitions like the axe-throwing on Main Street, the Finning Corporate Challenge and kids' events and crafts are among the many items listed on a four-page schedule.

The annual air show display will also be held from noon until 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Whitehorse airport, with flying displays starting at 2 p.m. Admission is free.

Eschak noted that it's thanks to people like Jack and Myrna Kingscote who welcome the 'fly boys' to town and show them Yukon hospitality that the air show continues to happen.

Rendezvous would not normally have the cash to host such an event during the February festival. However, many squadrons plan their training exercises so they can be in town for Rendezvous. This will mark the 32nd Rendezvous air show with 22 aircraft and 175 crew members taking part.

'They just come because it's Rendezvous and they love it,' Eschak said of the squadrons taking part in the air show.

The Royal Canadian Legion has also already begun its Rendezvous festivities with a social Thursday night.

Tonight there will be live music and dancing at 7:00, with horseshoes, shuffleboard and cribbage tournaments set for Saturday and Sunday.

With the exception of the dog mushers' banquet Sunday night, the annual festival will wrap up Sunday afternoon.

The People's Choice Award for the Air Canada International Snow Carving Challenge will be presented in the Rendezvous tent on Sunday.

This marks the second year of the event being hosted by the carving team of Don Watt, Mike Lane and Gisli Balzar. The trio recently won first place at the International Snow Carving Championships in Sapporo, Japan, with their carving of a bear being held back by a Mountie. They've recreated the snow sculpture at the end of Main Street for Rendezvous.

Snow carving for this weekend's challenge began Wednesday with Air Canada flying teams in from throughout Canada and one team from overseas.

'We even have a team from Japan,' Eschak said.

Teams from Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, B.C., Alaska and a local crew are taking part.

While Watt, Lane and Balzar are hosting the challenge and won't be competing, locals Tim Cant, Al Dobbs and Ian Jim are working on their sculptures to be ready in time for the People's Choice Award to be presented Sunday.

Following that, the festival's wrap-up parade will begin at 3 p.m. Sunday, making its way up Strickland Street from First to Fourth Avenues, down Fourth Avenue to Elliott Street where it will move down to Second Avenue and then back to Strickland Street. One lane of traffic will be closed for the parade.