There’s still time left to get your tickets to a brand new event that will promise a memorable night out and support for a local organization at the same time.
Scheduled to be held on Thursday, December 21, 2023, Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung Historical Centre, also known as the Manitou Mounds, is hosting their first ever Solstice Soirée, a decadent night of food, entertainment and togetherness to bring communities together during the darkest night of the year.
Bobby Hudon is the education programmer at the Mounds, and said the idea behind the night was to bring people together not only to help dispel the coldness of the darkest night of the year, but also as a way to celebrate all of the many holidays and traditions that take place during the month of December.
“[The Soirée] came from this idea of understanding that the Solstice comes every single year, it is the darkest night of the year, and it is also very non-denominational,” Hudon explained.
“We really wanted to be able to honour people regardless of their faith, their background, what they celebrate during the holidays, so we chose the solstice. We also understand that many people on the 21st of December don’t always have other plans .We know people are busy on the 25th, we know people are busy on the 31st. We know some people celebrate Hanukkah, some people celebrate Kwanzaa, some people celebrate Christmas, so we chose the solstice simply due to the fact that it is the darkest night of every year, and we really wanted to fill in that gap and shed some light in that dark time.”
And what a light this event promises to shine. According to Hudon, the entire staff has been hard at work preparing for the event, which will kick off with a mix and mingle featuring in-house made hors d’oeuvres and a mocktail bar with specially crafted drinks. Following the mingle, attendees will sit down to a three-course meal prepared by Verna Debungie and featuring traditional Anishinaabe ingredients, Hudon said, and guests will also have a special treat throughout the night.
“While everyone is enjoying themselves and are mingling and gathering in our Centre here at the Mounds, we’ll have local Indigenous artists actually playing,” Hudon said.
“We’ll have instrumental music during the gathering portion of the night. We’ll have our local artists serenading them, and storytelling as well, which is a really important component to us.”
Hudon noted that since he gegan at the Mounds, this is a first of its kind event. However, it’s also intended to kick off a new era of programming at the Mounds.
“We’re excited to kind of launch something new that hopefully we can continue in the future,” Hudon said.
“It’s like the starting of a new tradition. I would also like to put the call out for artists who are interested in performing at the Mounds moving forward, because that’s what we want to do. We want to create this sort of concert experience here, right in our backyards.”
Anyone interested in performing at the Mounds in the future is encouraged to contact Hudon by email at bobby.hudon@manitourapids.ca.
Tickets for the Solstice Soirée at KayNah-Chi-Wah-Nung Historical Centre are still available at $35 per person, though Hudon notes the tickets are selling fast. Each ticket covers entrance, hors d’oeuvres, dinner and the mocktail bar, but Hudon also encouraged people to bring some extra spending money with them as the event is functioning as a fundraiser, so the Centre’s gift shop will be open, as well as to tip the servers and entertainers throughout the evening. To purchase tickets for the Solstice Soirée, email the Mounds with the names of those you’d like to book spots for, contact information and any food allergies at payments@manitourapids.ca.
