The Métis Nation Columbia River Society (MNCRS) is inviting the community to join in celebrating Métis Week with a full lineup of local events leading up to their big Saturday night finale — the Métis Kitchen Party and Barn Dance.
What’s a Métis Kitchen Party & Barn Dance?
If you’ve never been to a Métis Kitchen Party, you’re in for a treat. These gatherings are a cherished tradition that celebrates Métis culture through music, dance, food, and community connection.
A Kitchen Party harkens back to the days when families and neighbours would crowd into a kitchen — the warmest, liveliest room in the house — to share stories, tap their feet to fiddle tunes, and dance the night away. It’s informal, joyful, and rooted in togetherness.
Add a Barn Dance to the mix and you get a full-blown celebration. Expect toe-tapping fiddle music, lively jigs and reels, and the kind of energy that pulls everyone onto the dance floor, whether you know the steps or not.
Historically, when a dance was hosted in a home, the furniture would be pushed back to clear space for dancing in the kitchen or main room. Barn dances offered a larger space for the community to gather. So when the fiddles start up and the dance floor fills, you’ll be taking part in something that’s been keeping communities connected for generations.
The event takes place Saturday, November 22, 2025, at the Golden Civic Centre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the performance begins at 7:00 p.m. The evening promises lively entertainment featuring Ryan Keplin, the Left-Handed Métis Fiddler, performing with a local backup band.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children 10 years and under (babes in arms attend free). Tickets can be purchased in person at the MNCRS office, 611 10th Ave N, 2nd floor, using cash, debit, or credit or by email. To purchase by email, please introduce yourself, specify the number of tickets you wish to buy, and e-transfer the payment to this email address: metisnationcolumbiariver@gmail.com.
Due to limited capacity and Métis Week preparations underway, please email ahead to confirm office availability before your visit.
The evening will also mark the conclusion of two major MNCRS fundraisers — the online 50/50 raffle (with up to $10,000 to be won) and the Métis Makers Auction, both of which will close and be awarded during the event. Auction items will be displayed at events throughout Métis Week and at the Barn Dance itself.
All proceeds support MNCRS community programming.
For more information or to buy raffle and auction tickets, visit:
• Raffle:rafflebox.ca/raffle/mncrs
• Auction:32auctions.com/Metisweek2025
Please note that the Wednesday event was an RSVP, and it is sold out!
