2026 Harvest Moon Festival Workshops
Workshop schedule for the 25th Perennial Harvest Moon Festival (Sept 18-20, 2026 in Clearwater, MB)
The Harvest Moon Society’s Education Committee is really proud of how our workshop line-up came together this year. We’re really looking forward to doing some shared learning!
We have been working to improve the Festival Workshop experience this year by moving around some venues. Workshops that are being held in ‘Tent #1’ will be in the courtyard of the former United Church, located across the street, just northwest of the Harvest Moon Learning Center. , and the venue labelled ‘Clearwater Museum’ is located west of the Clearwater Junction Restaurant and the Restaurant Stage.
Scroll down to learn about each workshop and its presenters.
Saturday Morning Yoga (9am) and Sunday Morning Meditation (10am)
in the Secret Garden with Adrienne Shum
Start your Saturday with a gentle yoga class that focuses on beginner-friendly movement to ease the body into the day. Start your Sunday with a guided breath awareness and body scan practice. Get grounded and centred for a day at the festival.
A student and teacher in the Winnipeg yoga community since 2009, Adrienne’s playful and encouraging style blends functional movement and somatic embodiment techniques to foster personal growth and exploration in one's practice. You can find out more about her at www.adrienneshum.com
Fibre Arts Craft Tent
Saturday - in the Campground by Big Games
11:30am - Flower Pounding - We're bringing back last year's hammering success. We'll imprint flowers into fabric and use the flags to make a banner for the learning centre.
1:30pm - BYO Craft Circle - drop-in with your project and get creative with other festival goers! Bring your own craft or fibre arts project to work on while chatting, learning, and sharing tips. All crafts and skill levels are welcome,and there will crafts on hand if you didn’t bring your own.
3:30pm - Beading - During this workshop, participants will join Metis beadwork artist Jess Whyte for a hands-on beading workshop open to all skill levels and backgrounds. Participants will learn one-and two-needle techniques, creating their own design or following pre-made patterns. All supplies provided. Best suited for participants aged 12 and up.
Tree Pruning in the Secret Garden
Saturday - 11 a.m. in the Harvest Moon Secret Garden
This workshop will cover essential principles, goals and biology of trees and shrubs to give people a foundation for pruning. Paul Goldstone has been an arborist for the last 15 years and owner / operator of G's Tree Service out of Onanole MB. Paul will present alongside Emrys Hansell as they assess and prune a tree on the HM grounds.
Flower Crowns / Corsages with Nika from The Bear Necessities Acres
Saturday - 11 a.m. in the Museum
Join us to create your very own flower crown! Using a mix of fresh and dried flowers, you'll learn how to craft a beautiful piece of wearable art to remember the Harvest Moon Festival.
Nika Seward is the owner of The Bear Necessities Acres Flower Farm, located on two farm locations in Manitou and Thornhill. Specializing in dahlias, the farm grows a wide variety of cut flowers, from annuals like zinnias and snapdragons to perennials such as peonies and irises.
Supplies are limited so this workshop can only accommodate 25 participants. Be sure to be early for this one.
From Farm to Table: Building a Stronger Local Food System
Saturday 11 a.m. in the Workshop Tent behind the former United Church
Farmers and eaters - please join us!
Local food matters more than ever. Yet across Canada, farmers and other food producers face significant barriers to getting their products to local eaters, while consumers often struggle to access affordable, healthy food produced close to home.
Join the National Farmers Union and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives for an interactive conversation on building a stronger, more resilient local food system.
Together, we’ll identify concrete public policy solutions to strengthen local economies, improve food security and make local food more accessible to both producers and consumers.
Honey bees, Beekeeping and the Power of Working Together
Saturday 1 p.m. in the Workshop Tent behind the former United Church
Rebecca (aka the bee-lady) of Prairie Sweetheart Honey will share about the incredible life of honey bees, what it takes to manage her two apiaries and what we, as humans, can learn from these beautiful pollinators.Winter Seeding: Get a Jump on Your Spring Garden
Hoop Jam with Karrie Blackburn
Saturday afternoon in the Campground
Karrie Blackburn is a hoopist and the founder of Kurrent Motion Hoops. Find her out in the campground on Saturday afternoon where she’ll run a hoop jam and facilitate play in a come and go space for all ages.
Community Regenerative Gardening
Saturday 3 p.m. in the Workshop Tent behind the former United Church
Friend of Harvest Moon Sparrow Berg leads a conversation about seed saving and seed sharing with Ryan Gauvin from Tiny Monster Garden, Laurie MacNevin from the Carberry branch of the Western Manitoba Regional Library, and Finn Rachul from Prairie Ojibwe Environmental.
Death Cafe with Death Doula Jackie Avent and Angie Jantz
Saturday 3 p.m. in the Museum
Open discussion where participants will have the opportunity to talk freely about any aspect of dying, death, or grief.
Pembina Valley Astro Club - Night Sky Viewing (weather permitting)
At the Clearwater Grain elevator on Friday and Saturday nights.
Come observe the Moon, planets, nebulas, galaxies, binary stars, and much more with Kenton from the Pembina Valley Astro Club. Let's talk about space and astronomy! Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the wonders of the cosmos up close!
Line Dancing at the Hootenanny Stage w/ Mckye & Jensen from Queer Line Dancing WPG -
Saturday 4 p.m. at the Hootenanny Stage Programming
Mckye and Jensen came together like kindergarteners on a playground at Folk Fest with a wild idea and a hope to bring people together in the name of dance. Today, Mckye and Jensen’s Queer Line Dancing is a monthly staple at the handsome daughter where beginner and advanced dancers alike bootscoot to the right. Whether you’re new to dancing or a seasoned pro, Mckye and Jensen are here to create a space for us to move, have fun and be present together. Be human, touch grass, make music and dance.
Bringing Children Outside: Come n Go Forest School Introduction and Demonstration for Families
Saturday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Lessons From the Land Trail
At Forest School, we believe the land is a teacher that helps children engage multiple aspects of themselves. Land education is not new; Indigenous Peoples on Turtle Island and beyond have been learning from and with the land since time immemorial. This workshop will help give families tools to bring children outside more and advocate for why it's important.
Reps from Riverview Ashland Daycare Centre will be down at the Lessons From the Land hiking trail north of the Sports Park (East Entrance) from 1pm to 4pm to facilitate outdoor play with children and discussion with their families. Speak with educators, Forest Nursery School Practitioners, and other interested families about how to spend more time outside with your children. The workshop is best suited for families of children ages 4-12, however, all are welcome to attend. Caregivers must be present on site.
Harvest Moon x MFGA Regen Mixer
Saturday 6 p.m. at the Big Tables near the back of the Festival Grounds
Join us for an informal networking happy hour at 6 p.m. on Saturday evening of the festival. We will be gathered by the big round tables at the back of the festival grounds. Grab a drink and come mingle with new and experienced representatives from the regenerative agriculture landscape in Manitoba.
The mixer is open to everyone - new and seasoned farmers and ranchers, regenerative or non regenerative practitioners, organization representatives or just curious members of the public.