Around 1,000 people attended the Six Nations Group’s Fall Festival at Chiefswood Park in Ohsweken on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
The event featured a host of free, family-friendly activities for all ages.
“We’ve got a bunch of different inflatables and rides, a petting zoo from Triple C Farm, pumpkin painting, face painting and balloon twisting,” said Kristin Prince, Six Nations Group’s Corporate Affairs Manager. “We also have Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Sonic the Hedgehog and Bluey all roaming the grounds, and three different musical acts including Jim Jacobs, James Wilson and the Healers.”
About 50 craft and food vendors, as well as makers involved with the Indigenous Youth Entrepreneurship program were also set up on-site.
From crochet creations, art, clothing, jewellery, baked goods, pottery, stained glass, traditional medicines and more, there were plenty of ways to support the local vendors selling their wares.
While families spent their time laughing away on different rides, painting pumpkins or posing for free family photos in the park, many were sure to indulge in a tasty bite to eat. Whether it was brisket on a bun, walking tacos, burgers, hot apple cider, cotton candy, popcorn or poutine, there was something to satisfy every craving.
Tanya Rogozynski, Six Nations Group’s Public Relations Officer, said that the event has undergone significant growth since it first began in 2016, taking place in various forms over the years.
“It started off as a small harvest gathering to bring the community together, and then it just grew bigger and bigger throughout the years,” she said. “It’s just a wonderful chance to bring the community together.”
While the event is free to attend, the Six Nations Group raises money through donations, raffle prizes and the pie-in-the-face fundraiser, and donates the proceeds back to a local cause.
“This year, all the proceeds will go towards the Miles to Go Cancer Support Group,” said Prince. “It’s a local group that helps people on their cancer journey as well as their family and friends,” said Prince.
An Indigenous economic development organization, the Six Nations Group reinvests surplus profits into the community through various programs and initiatives. Prince said things like the organization’s Community Collaborator Program plays an important role in supporting its efforts.
“At the beginning of each year, our community liaison officer reaches out to some of our biggest business partners to ask them if they would like to participate in our Community Collaborator Program,” she said. “There’s different tiers of donations, and this year we raised about $135,000 and that money mainly goes towards helping us run free events in the community. This Fall Festival is the biggest one of the year, but we also have the Community Awareness Barbecue in May, as well as our upcoming Jingle by the Grand winter market on November 21. It’s because of the Community Collaborator Program that allows our vendors to have a table at something like Jingle by the Grand for free.”
When asked what it meant to see the community come together for the event, Rogozynski said the children’s excitement made all the effort worthwhile.
“You can just see it on the kids’ faces,” she said. “When they find out they get to go on the rides or get cotton candy for free, it’s so just the sweetest thing. Without sounding like a cliché, their smiles make it worthwhile. It really is a great celebration.”
Prince added that she was thankful for everybody on the Six Nations Group team that helped make the event possible.
“We would not be able to do this without them,” she said. “It’s an ‘all hands on deck’ type of day and we all look forward to it. It doesn’t matter if we’re working on a Saturday, all the departments are happy to get involved, and we have a really great, enthusiastic team.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
