Schedule of Activities
A fall festival of music and learning, the annual Sonics & Sojourns weekend invites you to discover and enjoy the sights and sounds of Riding Mountain National Park and the surrounding region. Highlights include the Route 10 Jam Session, At the Farm Gate Market and POW Wagon Tour.
For more information on times, locations and costs, please contact Friends of RMNP at (204) 848-4037 or email friends.rmnp@pc.gc.ca.
__________________________________________________
Download Festival Poster for your reference:
____________________________________________________________________
FRIDAY – SEPTEMBER 23
8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Citizen Science – Wildlife and Telemetry (RMNP Visitor Centre). An off the beaten path adventure opportunity to learn about elk with an expert! Participate in our Elk research program by helping us to track and retrieve an elk collar. Pre-registration at the Visitor Centre is required as group size is limited. FREE.
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – From North Africa to the North Woods – Prisoners in the Park. (Poor Michaels Bookstore, Onanole). Join Michael O’Hagan on a trip back in time as we explore a unique chapter in Canada’s history. Historical artifacts and vintage photos will provide you with a snapshot of life at the Whitewater Lake POW camp. FREE.
2:00 to 3:00 p.m. – Manitoba Wild. (Poor Michaels Bookstore, Onanole). Author Bill Stilwell takes readers to places of unmatched natural beauty with spectacular wildlife and nature viewing opportunities. His slide show and talk will feature beautiful wildlife photos and scenic places throughout Manitoba. Book signing to follow. FREE.
7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Route 10 Jam session. (Onanole Recreation Centre). An evening of music ranging from Folk to Blue Grass to light Pop. Admission by donation. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
SATURDAY – SEPTEMBER 24
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. At the Farm Gate Market. (Onanole Recreation Centre). Pairing farm-fresh food and products produced by local artisans, this initiative by the Riding Mountain Biosphere Reserve brings together “locavores” and small, independent producers. Market also includes presentations and demos by local producers / artisans. FREE. Download Poster
10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Citizen Science – Birding 101 (Friends of RMNP Learning Centre – 154 Columbine Street, Wasagaming). Learn the basics to bird identification and the various monitoring programs available to birders. FREE.
2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Citizen Science – Tree identification (Friends of RMNP Learning Centre – 154 Columbine Street, Wasagaming). Join us for a walk around the Wasagaming townsite as we learn the basics to tree identification. FREE.
5:00 to 7:30 p.m. Call of the Wild Car Caravan. (RMNP Visitor Centre). Fall is an amazing time for getting out into the Riding Mountain wildlands! See and hear park creatures gearing up for seasonal migrations and be dazzled by leaves showing their last bursts of colour. Explore the sounds of the wilderness and join us on a Car Caravan exploring some of the most wonderful parts of Riding Mountain National Park. Cost is $3.90 per person. Pre-register at the Visitor Centre. Some walking and a vehicle required.
7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Bog River. (Friends of RMNP Learning Centre – 154 Columbine Street, Wasagaming). From the heart of the Canadian prairies, Bog River offers a unique sound with haunting lyrics and harmonies, and diverse instrumentals (including guitars, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, harmonicas and dobro). Wrapping up their West Coast tour promoting their new CD “Hands in the Ground”, Bog River combines Dixieland, old-tyme, gospel, bluegrass, and contemporary folk genres – “wooden” music into shows that are heartfelt and energetic. Tickets $10.00 each – available at the Friends Nature Shop or at the door. Seating is limited.
SUNDAY – SEPTEMBER 25
10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Gorge Creek Hike. (RMNP Visitor Centre). Travel through the creeks and gorges, forests and ferns of the Manitoba Escarpment, along one of the most scenic hikes in Manitoba. This 6.4 km trail highlights the geology, ecology, and history of Riding Mountain National Park. Vehicle required; $3.90/person Pre-registration is required.
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. From North Africa to the North Woods – POW Wagon Tour. Allow yourself to be transported back in time to a Canadian Prisoner of War (POW) camp in the backcountry of Riding Mountain National Park.. Ride in a horse-drawn wagon and experience a taste of what some young German soldiers who were captured on the battle lines in North Africa saw and felt when they were shipped to Canada’s rugged wilderness to await the end of the Second World War. Cost is $50.00 per participant. Advanced registration is required as space is very limited. For more information or to register, please contact 204.848.4037.
2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Artist is Residence – Michael Benjamin Brown. (Friends of RMNP Learning Centre – 154 Columbine Street, Wasagaming). Michael will present a cautionary tale on the life of the practising artist in Canada. With the help of a supporting cast of slide images and a large dose of humour, Michael will single-handedly dispel the myth of the artist in a painter’s smock and beret, and take the viewer on a roller-coaster day-in-the-life ride of your average professional artist. FREE.
5:00 p.m. Community Potluck (Onanole Recreation Centre). Celebrating community and food in the Clear Lake region of Manitoba. Bring your favourite dish, plate and cutlery and enjoy an evening of socializing and sampling! Everyone Welcome. FREE.
