WHEN | Sunday, June 21, 2026 from 6 PM to 8 PM 

WHERE | David Crombie Park, The Esplanade & Princess St

FREE | All ages welcome

Event host Eve Saint

Live music by FAYTH,

Hoop Dance by Emilee Ann Pitawanakwat

Featured dance performance by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre

Live music by Mâmàwin’towin: A Métis Kitchen Party

Facepainting by Linda Epp

Craft designed by Eve Saint

Indigenous food by Tea N Bannock, local vendors, kids’ crafts, and Jamii’s 15th Anniversary birthday cake

Jamii’s 8th Annual National Indigenous Peoples Day celebration brings community members together in David Crombie Park for an evening of live music, dance, food, art, and gathering. This free outdoor event is a chance for neighbours of all ages to spend time together, celebrate Indigenous creativity, and listen to the voices, stories, and artistry shared by Indigenous artists.

This year’s celebration will be hosted by Eve Saint, a Wet’suwet’en/Mushkegowuk Land Defender, public speaker, community organizer, and advocate for Indigenous Rights based in Tkaronto. Eve invites us to come together during the summer solstice, a time to celebrate connection to the land and to one another, with joy, happiness, and good energy.

The evening features To Be Anishinaabe / Singing Covers and Originals by FAYTH, an acclaimed Indigenous singer-songwriter from Wiikwemkoong First Nation. FAYTH began performing in her early teens and has grown into a powerful, soulful performer whose music carries both personal expression and community connection. Her work has reached audiences across Ontario and beyond, including performances alongside leading Indigenous artists.

The celebration also welcomes Mâmàwin’towin: A Métis Kitchen Party, an acoustic trio co-led by celebrated Métis fiddler Alyssa Katrine and JUNO-nominated, CFMA Award-winning Métis singer-songwriter Amanda Rheaume, with acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Danton Delbaere-Sawchuk. Rooted in the spirit of a Métis kitchen party, their performance brings together fiddle music, rich vocal harmonies, and storytelling grounded in Métis history, kinship, and shared gathering.

Jamii is also proud to present Beings of Light by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, founded by acclaimed multidisciplinary artist and Order of Canada recipient Santee Smith. Performed by Santee Smith, Nickeshia Garrick, and Irma Villafuerte, this contemporary dance work honours kinship with non-human entities and our connection to the natural world. Through movement, the performance acknowledges natural elements and plant life, including sunflowers, medicine plants, and food plants such as strawberries, while reflecting Haudenosaunee horticultural practices and cycles of growth, blooming, and return to the earth.

Audiences will also experience a hoop dance performance by Emilee Ann Pitawanakwat, a Hoop Dancer, Fancy Shawl, and Jingle Dress Dancer from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island. Emilee Ann has been hoop dancing since the age of five and has performed alongside many Indigenous artists across Ontario. Jamii is honoured to welcome her back after previous performances at Joy in the Park events and WAYO.

The evening will also include Indigenous food, local vendors, face painting with Linda Epp, a craft designed by Eve Saint, kids’ activities, and Jamii’s 15th Anniversary birthday cake.

Chairs will be available, and community members are welcome to bring their own chairs or blankets to sit in the park.

This event is part of Jamii and Canadian Stage’s ongoing collaboration to bring accessible, inclusive arts programming to public spaces. 

Support free community arts 

Jamii keeps programs and events free so everyone can take part, without financial barriers. If you’re able, you can support our $15 for 15 Years campaign and help us reach $15,000 by December 15 for Jamii’s future programs at The Jamii Hub. Your donation moves the goal forward and is eligible for a charitable tax receipt. Donate here now.

Jamii’s Joy in the Park events are made possible through the support of the City of Toronto and the Community Celebration Support Fund as part of “The World in the City.” This event is supported by Canadian Heritage, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, City of Toronto, Metcalf Foundation, and Rama Gaming House and Charitable Gaming.