Sounds from the Valley: Donita Large, Jessica Burylo, and Katharine Weinmann

Head down to Edmonton’s Snow Valley Ski Club to take in a FREE concert with music, poetry and art! Listen to artists from EPL’s Capital City Records and Capital City Press as they share their work at the bottom of the ski hill in the beautiful Rainbow Valley, joined by an artist from Capital City Art. Free of charge, we’ll be collecting non-perishable food items for the Edmonton Food Bank.

NOTE: Due to the very high popularity of the event this year, we suggest those who are able to bring their own lawn chairs to do so to ensure ample seating for everyone. If you don’t have a lawn chair, that is totally okay – we can absolutely make it work!

Music from Donita Large

Donita Large is a Cree artist whose genre-defying style blends blues, rock, country, and traditional Indigenous sounds, often described as folk with Indigenous sizzle. Her songwriting is rooted in her ancestry, carrying themes of truth, reconciliation, strength, and unity. As a seasoned vocalist, Donita has built an impressive career on local to international stages. She is a founding member of the Indigenous women’s groups Asani (1997 – 1999) and Nipisiy (2020 – 2025), with performances including the prestigious Carnegie Hall and Edmonton Folk Music Festival. After releasing her debut single, ​“Going to Walk That Line,” she hit #1 on the Indigenous Music Countdown, accelerating her music career. After releasing singles and a gospel album, Donita fully steps into her power as a singer songwriter with The Ancestors released in January 2026. This project marks a defining evolution in her artistry, showcasing her remarkable vocal range and emotionally rich storytelling through song. Recorded across Toronto, Los Angeles, and Edmonton, the album was co-produced with Grammy Award – winning producer Chris Birkett and music director Anthony King. The Ancestors has strengthened Donita’s connection to Edmonton’s vibrant music community while carrying Indigenous stories to international audiences. With performances in Sweden (June 2026) and airplay spanning Japan, Germany, France, and across North America, her music resonates far beyond borders. Featuring some of Edmonton’s top musicians, the album honours the voices and histories of Treaty Six Territory and stands as a testament to her dedication to cultural continuity, collaboration, and healing through music.

Readings from Capital City Press Authors:

Jessica Burylo is an Autistic writer, researcher, and doctoral student at the University of Alberta, where her work explores Autistic joy, identity, and community-based understandings of flourishing. She works full-time with Elections Canada in outreach and barrier-reduction, supporting inclusive democratic participation. Her writing bridges lived experience and scholarship, with a focus on care, belonging, and the everyday spaces that make room for diverse ways of being. 

Katharine Weinmann writes poetry, walks long distances, sees beauty in life’s imperfections and photographs its shimmer. She was the 2024 winner of Canada’s Lawrence House Centre for the Arts’ Carmen Ziolkowski Poetry Prize and has been nominated for a 2026 Poetry Best of the Net. She blogs at A Wabi Sabi Life. Her debut collection, Skyborne Insight, Homemade Love has been recently published by Friesen Press (2026). With her husband and their English Setter, Walker, Katharine makes her home in Sherwood Park, ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (Amiskwacîwâskahikan), Treaty 6 Territory.