Sweetwater Harvest Festival
with the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre
Join the Friends of Wye Marsh and Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons for an awesome maple syrup experience March 22 and 23, 2025. The Sweetwater Harvest Festival is the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre’s biggest event of the year – and ONE ticket gets you access to TWO fantastic sites. And this year, pancakes are back!
Dates and Times:
- March 22 and 23, 2025
- 9 am- 5 pm (Last Admission @ 2:30 pm)
Parking and shuttles:
With limited parking available at the Wye Marsh, we suggest you start your Sweetwater experience at Sainte-Marie to ensure accessible parking remains available at the marsh for those who need it.
From Sainte-Marie you can:
- Take the shuttle bus, which will run between the two attractions from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Walk the 10-minutes between the two sites. During the walk, use clues in your event map to find Canadian icons hidden in the forest!
Tickets: Save time, buy online!
- $22 per Adult (includes taxes and Eventbrite fees)
- $18.50 per Student and Senior (includes taxes and Eventbrite fees)
- Children 3 and under are FREE
- Support people for guests with disabilities upon presentation of their Access 1 card: FREE
- All other complimentary programs do not apply during this Special Event
- Restaurant Sainte-Marie patrons are required to purchase tickets to access the historic site, museum and event
- Payment methods:
- Online via Eventbrite (in advance or at the door)
- Cash, debit or credit card: at Wye Marsh ONLY
All sales are final.
For your convenience and to ensure a smooth experience, we kindly recommend purchasing tickets online. This helps us serve you better and reduces wait times at the venue. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
What to expect:
Start your Sweetwater Harvest experience at Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons:
- Swing by the Sweetwater Harvest Arts & Crafts Market, where you’ll connect with local artists and artisans selling one-of-a-kind products
- Explore historical objects and ancient artefacts by completing our indoor and outdoor scavenger hunts
- Taste delicious cornbread and sample historic teas in the cookhouse
- Try on historical costumes in the Shoemaker/Tailor’s workshop
- Play Indigenous games in En Pilier and take some home
- Make your own clay pots and okies
- Create and decorate a corn husk doll
- Plant the three sisters for your home garden: corn, beans and squash
- Watch fascinating birchbark basket-building demonstrations
- Live music with local musician Chris Lemay from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at restaurant Sainte-Marie
- Watch the 15-minute introductory film about the history of Sainte-Marie in the theatre
Timed activities include:
- Listen to Indigenous stories in the longhouse at 10:30 a.m. as well as 12:30, 2:30 and 4 p.m.
- Learn the French and Wendat methods for starting fires in the 17th century at 10 a.m., noon, as well as 2 and 3:30 p.m.
- Take part in additional fun activities and crafts offered by Parks Canada in our indoor museum on Saturday, March 22
Visit Wye Marsh – the birthplace of Sweetwater… and fall in love with our natural heritage!
- Wander through the Sugar Bush
- Visit the Sugar Shack to see how sap is turned into liquid gold
- Roast some Bannock on a stick over an open fire
- Enjoy delicious maple taffy on snow
- Check out the kids zone where you’ll explore animal pelts, nests, and artefacts
- Learn how to jig and listen to Métis stories with Basile Dorion
- Check out Swan Landing and swan stories
- Meet birds of prey including owls, hawks, and eagles
- Explore forested trails or head out on the boardwalk to see the marsh stir to life after a long winter’s nap
- Purchase your supply of local maple syrup and honey
- Visit our talented face painter
Food Options:
Restaurant Sainte-Marie is hosting a delicious pancake breakfast from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring live music in the dining room.
For those seeking non-pancake options, the restaurant will be offering take-out fare (fries, burgers, and more!) on their patio from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. They will revert back to their regular menu from 3 to 8 p.m.
Live Music
Local musician Chris Lemay will be performing at restaurant Sainte-Marie from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Thanks to our program partners
In case of high winds or extreme weather
Note that outdoor programs at the Wye Marsh may need to be modified if the trails are closed due to high winds, thunderstorms, or other inclement weather. For example, birds of prey may move inside, sugar shack pans may be relocated to the pavilion, and bannock roasting will take place at Sainte-Marie.
Please click each image above to see a larger version.
Schedule of Activities
Arts, Craft & Food Market in the Brébeuf Event Centre:
- Bon Bon’s Toast Toppers
- Bone Appetit Dog Treats
- Buttercup Bakery & Chocolate Co.
- Carol Hartwell’s Pottery
- Everything Maple & More
- Fuzzy Fibers Grandma’s Beach Treats
- Ink Fusion Juno’s
- Lighted glass blocks and 3D printed paintings
- Mad River Buzz Apiary & Supply
- P.J. Meats
- Papa’s Woodcrafts PJR Creations
- Red Rabit
- Shakyamuni Body Butters
- Siren Bay Studio
- That Lady in the Woods
- The Charming Gem/Aromatose
- Wood, Wool and more
Apply to be a vendor:
Our events feature handmade, one-of-a-kind handcrafted gifts and artisan made products, as well as gourmet food products, tasty treats and baking.
Thanks to our 2025 sponsors!
While we love our furry friends, we are not able to accommodate pets at this special event (service dogs are welcomed of course). Thank you for your understanding.
- Admission to Sainte-Marie among the Hurons on March 23 or 24 is included in your Sweetwater Harvest Festival ticket, purchased online through the Wye Marsh.
- Sainte-Marie is a mask-friendly environment.
- Taking photos is encouraged.
- Smoking or vaping (including marijuana) is not permitted on Sainte-Marie property.
- Most Sweetwater Harvest Festival activities will take place outside so we encourage visitors to dress according to weather conditions.
16164 Highway 12 East, Midland, ON, L4R 4K8
Parking Info
There is ample parking for visitors including those with RVs and buses. Please park in the parking lot provided and make your way to the admissions entrance. We also have bike racks available for cyclists coming from the Tay Trail.
Need more info?
Please contact us at hhp@ontario.ca or (705) 526-7838 if you have any questions.
Ontario’s first European Community, Sainte-Marie among the Hurons was the headquarters for the French Jesuit Mission to the Huron-Wendat people. In 1639, the Jesuits, along with French lay workers, began construction of a fenced community that included barracks, a church, workshops, residences, and a sheltered area for Indigenous visitors. This community was abandoned and burned down in 1649.
After extensive archaeological and historical research, Sainte-Marie among the Hurons is now recreated on its original site, where the mission’s compelling story is brought to life with costumed historical interpreters, demonstrations and hands-on activities.
Located near Midland, on the Wye River, this world-renowned reconstruction offers visitors a unique opportunity to see the earliest Canadian pioneer life through self-guided visits, group tours, interactive education programs, and special events. Complete your experience by exploring our interpretive museum and themed gift shop.
Friends of Wye Marsh is a not-for-profit charitable organization taking care of 3,000 acres of provincially significant wetlands and federal forests in the Heart of Georgian Bay. This National Wildlife Area and recognized Important Bird Area (IBA) provides habitat for a number of significant species including provincially Threatened Least Bitterns, Species of Special Concern Black Terns, and the famous Trumpeter Swans.
Wye Marsh is the perfect place to Escape – Explore – Experience the area’s natural history as the site includes 25 km of all-season trails, a Birds of Prey field, and Visitors Centre!
For more information on the Wye Marsh, and its environmental education programs and stewardship initiatives, please call 705-526-7809 or visit: www.wyemarsh.com
