Indigenous Experiences is excited to offer the Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival (SSIF) in 2024. Our team put together the following information to help make your #SSIF24 a great one!

 LOCATION 
SSIF 2024 will be held at Mādahòkì Farm, located at 4420 West Hunt Club Road, Ottawa, ON K2R 1H4. 

There is no public parking on the farm – please take FREE shuttles from Algonquin College – with OC Transpo or Free Parking.

 DATES FOR SSIF 
June 21, 2024 | National Indigenous People’s Day
June 22-23, 2024 | Pow Wow and Festival

 ADMISSION
Admission is FREE! Everyone welcome!! If you are able to support this event we do request donations – cash donation boxes available at the front info booth & throughout the festival.

 WEATHER 
The festival is a rain-or-shine event for the most part.   If it rains, the Pow Wow competition will move into the Arena (and we would have to reschedule the EAL experiences) but most of our programming would continue unless thunderstorms …or extreme smoke /air quality issues as we experienced last year!  

Please note that the drone show can be impacted by high winds and rain – so if you are planning on attending please check in on Saturday for updates on our social channels.  

 ADDITIONAL FEES & PAYMENT METHODS ACCEPTED 
There will be some workshops, food and shopping of authentic Indigenous made goods available on site for an extra cost. You can pre-purchase some of these items to make sure you don’t miss out, but you can purchase these while on site as well. In most cases you will be able to use a debit/credit card for your on-site purchases. There will be an ATM on site. We suggest you bring some cash in case there are any technical issues with the payment system.

 ONLY PURCHASE TICKETS THROUGH SSIF 
We ask that you please purchase your tickets directly from our registration portal, we have not authorized any third-party sellers.

Any tickets purchased for workshops or food are non-refundable.

Only tickets purchased directly from the Summer Solstice Indigenous festival will be honoured.

 ACCESSIBILITY 
With the support of Ottawa Tourism this year, SSIF takes one more step towards improving our accessibility. As an outdoor venue, the access to our Pow Wow grounds can be challenging for some and Ottawa Tourism assisted us in investing in some mobi-matts (like you can find on some beaches) and a new accessible viewing tent at the Pow Wow.

Unfortunately, we have NO public parking of any kind, including public accessibility parking on site. We recommend that you book a Paratranspo or get friends or family to get you to the farm and you can get dropped off right at the entrance. Unfortunately, our shuttles are not accessible to all as they are school buses. 

The grounds are considered basically accessible and we have accessible toilets. There are some grassy areas that may become wet if we get rain and may become difficult to navigate.

 MARKETPLACE 
We have a year-round virtual and brick & mortar marketplace. Come by and visit Thursday to Sunday 11am-4pm. The marketplace is located at the end of the driveway in the old farm house. If you are a vendor looking to join our marketplace please email registrations@ottawasummersolstice.ca. Please note that all vendor spots for SSIF are full, but you can email us so that we have your info and can reach out to you for future festivals. 

 STAY UPDATED 
Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media to be the first to hear about any news and updates. (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube)

 VOLUNTEERING 
We have lots of opportunities to volunteer at our festival. Please fill out this form and/or email jacky@madahoki.ca to express your interest in volunteering at the 2024 SSIF.

 SPONSORSHIP 
Connect your business with our growing family demographic while demonstrating a commitment to reconciliation with our diverse Indigenous cultures. We thank all of our generous sponsors who help to make this event free and accessible for the community to join in the celebration. For sponsorship enquiries, please email samantha@growwithamp.com.

 PARKING 
There is NO public parking on the festival grounds at Madahoki Farm unless you have received a parking pass (as a sponsor, artist, Pow Wow participant)  We are offering a FREE shuttle service from Algonquin College. You can take OC tranpo to the College or drive and take advantage of free parking. The shuttles are departing every 10 minutes – so it is a hassle free way to enjoy the festival! You do not need to register for the shuttle buses.

 DOGS ON SITE 
Absolutely NO pets are allowed on the grounds or in booth spaces (with the exception of service animals). Please leave your pets at home. We WILL NOT tolerate animals left in vehicles.

 SMOKING & ALCOHOL ON SITE 
At all times, NO alcohol or illegal drugs are permitted to be consumed on-site or brought onto the Farm grounds. There will be designated smoking areas on the farm, please only smoke in these areas and use the bins provided to dispose of your cigarette butts.

 WATER 
Please bring your re-fillable water bottles as we have water stations on site. 

 POW WOW ETIQUETTE 
Please note that EVERYONE is welcome and invited to join in and experience a Pow Wow. A Pow Wow is a cultural celebration and an opportunity for our community to gather, socialize, dance, sing and honour the past and future generations. Our Pow Wow is a competition so you will see both drums and dancers competing throughout the weekend. We do invite the public to join in any social and inter-tribal dances so be sure to listen for the emcee to welcome everyone in the circle. 

Some FAQ and answers about Pow Wow Etiquette 

• Yes, everyone is welcome!   
• If you have never witnessed the Grand Entry – you don’t want to miss it as every dancer enters the circle.  Our Grand Entries are 6pm Friday, 12pm and 6pm Saturday and 12pm Sunday.  HOWEVER please remember that the Grand Entry is Ceremonial – and we ask you not to take photos or videos during any Ceremonial or Sacred parts of the Pow Wow.  Listen closely to the EMCEE to announce when photos/videos are not allowed and please respect the sacred nature of these songs and dances when appropriate.  There will be lots of opportunities for photos after!  
• When taking a photo of a dancer or drum group – please ask their permission.   
• What you see the dancers wearing is called Regalia.  It is not a costume but a sacred outfit they create over a lifetime and has spiritual significance to them.  Be respectful and please do not touch their regalia.  
• Most importantly, listen to the Emcees – they will announce when we must stand, when to avoid photos and when everyone is welcome to join in the circle and dance! 
• Support the community.  Please take some time to shop and support the talented Indigenous artists, vendors and taste some of the traditional foods.  These small businesses often make their living and support their families on the “pow wow trail”.

Megwetch for all the love and support along this journey- we’re going to have an incredible Summer Solstice Festival this year.