Niagara Nature Tours

26^thAnnual Summer Solstice
Drumming Down the Sun & Yoga

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Please bring a yoga mat or blanket, a lawn chair and a drum or anything to shake or rattle, and a donation. Donations help cover city park permit fees to rent the beach and operational costs with a portion going to local environmental initiatives. No experience is necessary to join in this family community celebration of the longest day of the year. https://www.facebook.com/niagaranaturetours/

Locations:

Lakeside Park, Port Dalhousie, St. Catharines
Charles Daley Park, Jordan - West Beach (gate locked at 10:00 p.m.)
Ryerson Park, NOTL - No Washrooms

Lakeside Park, Port Dalhousie

Drumming Circle is welcome to start gathering whenever people want to start. Please set up circle east of wheelchair accessible strip to allow folks in wheelchairs and scooters to take part. The yoga teachers are happy to have drumming while they teach their class to the east of the drumming circle. Donations appreciated to help pay for the beach rental permit.
7:00 ~ 7:45 p.m. Join Larry Coplen and Kim Sweet from Carriage House Yoga for a gentle yoga class on the sandy beach of Lakeside Park. Please bring a mat or blanket and a donation. No experience necessary.
We'll be Drumming Down the Sun which sets shortly after 9:00 p.m. We are usually wrapped up by 9:30 p.m.

IMPORTANT - Please note

Paid visitor parking is in effect at Lakeside Park Beach May 1 to Sept 30, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.
The fee for each parking space is $3 per hour, with a three-hour time limit.
Residents of St. Catharines may obtain Beach Parking Permits. This allows for parking with no time limits.

Charles Daley Park, North Service Road,
Jordan - west of Seventh Street

Please join us for the 15th annual Summer Solstice, Drumming Down the Sun & Yoga on the Beach celebration at Charles Daley Park, West Beach in Jordan. For the second year, Niagara Nature Tours is in partnership with Beamsville's The Yoga Vine. Everyone is welcome to participate and no experience is necessary. Donations are appreciated.

7:00 p.m. ~ 7:45 p.m. with The Yoga Vine on the sandy beach

Help our drum master Zephie James in quiet drumming while the yoga is in progress, if you are not doing both.

8:00 p.m. ~ 9:15 p.m. Drumming Down the Sun with Zephie James Drumming

Ryerson Park, Niagara-on-the-Lake - No Washroom

Please join us for the 9th annual Summer Solstice, Drumming Down the Sun & Yoga in the Park celebration at Ryerson Park. Everyone is welcome to participate and no experience is necessary. Donations are appreciated.

7:00 p.m. ~ 7:45 p.m. Yoga in the Park courtesy of Arayoga On & Off the Mat with owner (& Niagara-on-the-Lake yoga teacher) Ara Ribas. Please bring a mat or blanket and a donation. Kevin Richard Hotte from Circular Motion will be leading the drum circle. There is no parking on this street so you will have to park somewhere else and walk. Do not park illegally or you will get a ticket.

More Important Information

Bring a drum, a pot - or anything to shake & rattle!

The Summer Solstice the longest day of the year, has long been held in high esteem by many societies around the world. Join our community drumming circle to celebrate this day. There are no benches or seats, so bring a lawn chair or blanket if you'd like to sit, but be prepared to dance!

This family event was started by Carla Carlson, the owner of Niagara Nature Tours. The first event was held at Port Dalhousie's Lakeside Park in 1998. Our drumming circles flow off the sidewalk by the carousel which allows for participants in scooters and wheelchairs to take part and now there is a wheelchair accessible strip straight down to the water's edge.

It has become a wonderful, magical experience, despite parking challenges.

In 2009, we expanded our Drumming Down the Sun & Yoga on the Beach to the neighbouring beach at Charles Daley Park in Jordan (Town of Lincoln) to give families the choice of beaches to attend. Parking is easier here but there is a bit of a walk to get to the beach.

Ryerson Park in NOTL was added thanks to a local volunteer - Loretta Pietrobond - who has been running this celebration since 2014.