Our 50th Anniversary Celebration will be held on Saturday, July 12th 2025
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Throughout the day there will be lots of activities, displays, and performances to check out!
From jigs and reels to stories and songs, the day includes:
Pancake Breakfast (9:00–11:00 am)
Main Stage Musical Entertainment (12:00–5:00 pm)
Fiddlers, Dancing, Jigging Contest, Métis & Scottish Games
Morning Yoga, Children’s Activities, Food Trucks, Vendors, Artisans, Museum Booths
2777 Portage Avenue – Free Entry | All Ages Welcome
We hope to see you there!
General Information
Our celebration is a free event!
We are having a pancake breakfast fundraiser in the morning from 9:00 am – 11:00 am with ticket prices listed below.
Pancake Breakfast Ticket Prices:
Family (4+) – $20
Adults – $7
Children (6–12) – $5
Children under 6 – FREE
9:00 am – 11:00 am – “Millstack Pancakes for Preservation” Fundraiser Pancake Breakfast (see Cost above for info)
9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Cultural Programming Village (cultural heritage and local museum booths)
9:00 am – 5:00 pm – Bison & Thistle Market (artisans and makers)
9:30 am Mill Stage – Spence Family Tradition
9:30 am – 10:15 am – Yoga in the Park with Reid (Modo Yoga) – Bring Your Own Yoga Mat
11:30 am Main Stage – Speakers and Greetings
12:00 pm Main Stage – ANAVETS Pipes and Drums
12:15 pm Main Stage – Lads and Lasses (Royal Scottish Country Dancers)
12:30 pm Main Stage – Susan French Highland Dancers
12:50 pm – Ages 5+ Jigging Contest
1:00 pm Main Stage – Mandy Ducharme
1:30 pm – Ages 6-12 Jigging Contest
1:45 pm Main Stage – McConnell Irish Dancers
2:05 pm – Ages 13-17 Jigging Contest
2:20 pm Main Stage – Kinew Dancers and Fiddlers
2:40 pm – Ages 50+ Jigging Contest
2:55 pm Main Stage – Mitchell Makoons
3:15 pm – Ages 18+ Jigging Contest
3:30 pm Main Stage – The Muddy River Band
4:00 pm Main Stage – Catie St. Germain
Vehicle: Street parking is available, but will be limited during the event. Free parking is available at Bruce Middle School – 333 Booth Drive. We encourage all eventgoers to consider alternative modes of transportation to come to our celebration.
Bus: The FX3, B-Line and 220 are some of the buses that will take you right by the mill. Click here for schedules.
Bike: There is a free, secure, on-site Bicycle Valet service for all attendees, graciously provided to us by Bike Winnipeg. Bike Winnipeg will give you a ticket for your bike and will watch over it all day. Simply return with your stub to get your bike later!
St. John Ambulance will be on-site in case of emergency.
Free water refills from jugs of premium Canadian spring water from Jackson Springs Water.
ARE YOU READY TO JIG?! 
The Grant’s Old Mill JIGGING CONTEST is back — and BIGGER THAN EVER for Grant’s Old Mill 50th Anniversary Celebration on July 12, 2025!
THE MILL’S STILL TURNING… AND SO ARE OUR FEET! Whether you’re 5 or 75 — this is YOUR moment to hit the floor and show off your Red River Jig in front of a cheering crowd!
$1,500+ in CASH PRIZES LIVE MUSIC • HIGH ENERGY • CULTURAL PRIDE
Top Prize: $300! 
From Tiny Tot footwork to seasoned steppers, each age group has their shot at glory!
Even our 5-and-under dancers will leave with prize money in hand!
REGISTER TODAY: cuthbertgrantmill@gmail.com 
Spots are limited — don’t miss your chance to shine at this iconic celebration of Métis and Scottish heritage!
Dance. Compete. Celebrate. This is the JIG of the YEAR!
Musical Entertainment
Catie St. Germain is a Métis country singer from Niverville, Manitoba, Canada, and the granddaughter of Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame legend Ray St. Germain. With a powerful and versatile voice, combined with her authentic songwriting, Catie made a significant impact on the Manitoba country music scene in 2023.
Her debut single, released independently, resonated deeply with her loyal fanbase, leading to an outpouring of support. This momentum earned her an unprecedented six Manitoba Country Music Association (MCMA) award nominations, including the prestigious MCMA Emerging Artist category, which she won.
Catie’s first two singles, “The Day Gets Too Long” and “High Forever,” both soared to #1 on the Indigenous Music Countdown. Her debut EP, released this past May, has been making waves on country radio and catching the attention of industry professionals. This exposure has given her opportunities to open for renowned bands like the James Barker Band, The Hunter Brothers, and Tyler Joe Miller.
Catie’s live performances are a blend of energy and heartfelt emotion, leaving audiences eager for more.
The Muddy River Band is a country rock trio led by two-spirit, Métis recording artist Jeff St. Germain, grandson of Canadian legend Ray St. Germain. Rooted in Manitoba, their music blends classic country grit, southern rock energy, and heartfelt storytelling inspired by their prairie roots.
Mitchell Makoons (he/him) is a Roots/Rock musician from Brandon, Manitoba, who currently resides in Winnipeg. At the age of seven, Mitchell began playing the guitar to accompany his grandfather and brother as they played Metis fiddle tunes. Makoons continues to be an active member of the Manitoba Metis community and writes songs that combine traditional Ojibway music and culture with modern influences.
Makoons has toured several times across Western Canada and has begun to break into the Canadian festival scene. In 2024, he performed at Dauphin’s Countryfest, Harvest Sun Music Festival, Gentlefest, and Winnipeg Fringe Festival, to name a few.
Makoons released his debut album “Lady Boots” in April of 2024. Of the 8 tracks on the album, 4 have reached the top 10 on the Indigenous Music Countdown with “Courage” and “Changing Man” becoming his first and second No. 1’s. Mitchell’s music is spun frequently on Canadian and American radio and receives international play on Sirius XM. Since 2022, Makoons has been nominated for 9 Manitoba Country Music Awards and won the Emerging Artist of the Year Award in 2024.
Having spent over a decade out west, Ducharme got her start performing live in Red Deer, Alta. with her trusty six-string, ‘Cash’, along for the ride.
When Ducharme moved home to Winnipeg in 2019, it was like starting over again.
After meeting some like-minded musicians, Mandy Ducharme & The Absolute B’s started picking up gigs.
A lifelong music fan, Ducharme gives credit to Roy Orbison for inspiring her early on and continuing to provide inspiration today.
“He’s a major factor in my music,” Ducharme said. “I credit him as the reason I play guitar and write my own stuff and sing.”
Another one of Ducharme’s musical heroes lives a little closer to home than Orbison ever did.
“I also credit Fred Turner, from BTO,” Ducharme said. “His voice is phenomenal. I hope to one day meet him. That would be awesome. You don’t get to meet your idols that often.”
Ducharme’s music can be found on You Tube, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Deezer, iheart, Anghami Music, slaps.com and more.
Cultural Performances
Spence Family Tradition bring a youthful, cultural approach to Traditional Métis Fiddling & Jigging.
The Susan French School of Highland Dance was created in 2011 after the passing of Susan’s beloved teacher and mentor, Lynn Stephen. Susan has taught students who have competed and won numerous championships, premierships, trophies and runner-up awards throughout Canada, the United States, and Scotland. Susan still loves to dance, and Choreography is one of her passions, having created multiple award-winning pieces.
Over the past 5 years, the Susan French School of Highland dance has been privileged alongside the McConnell School of Irish Dance to headline Folklorama’s British Isles Pavilion, which draws in more than 10,000 spectators each summer. Susan believes in promoting culture through highland dance and demonstrates this with her passion and enthusiasm for the sport.
Founded in Ireland over 100 years ago, and well into its third generation, McConnell Irish Dance is the largest and longest-established Irish Dance school in Manitoba, with locations in Winnipeg and Brandon.
McConnell Dancers are recognized for their high-calibre, energetic performances, which encompass both traditional and contemporary forms of Irish Dance. National and International award-winning McConnell Dancers compete at the highest levels locally and internationally, including the North American and World Irish Dance Championships in Ireland, hosted by Cumann Rince Náisiúnta (CRN).
ANAVETS Pipes and Drums (Unit #283) is a traditional Scottish pipe band that performs at many venues throughout the year. ANAVETS Unit #283 proudly serves the Assiniboia area, and its pipe band performs at many local events.
The Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada is Canada’s oldest veterans’ association. Although the precise start date is obscured by time, it is known that a charter was given in 1840 by Queen Victoria to create a unit in Montreal – however, it is believed that other units may have existed well before that time.
The Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada, also known as ANAVETS and ANAF for short, has more than 18,000 members throughout Canada.
The Winnipeg Branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society is an organization dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of Scottish Country Dancing. The Winnipeg Branch have performed both locally and internationally since their founding in 1959. Classes begin in September and are taught by teachers certified by the International Headquarters of the RSCDS. Visitors are always welcome.
The Winnipeg Branch is one of approximately 170 branches throughout the world that are members of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society head-quartered in Scotland. In 2023, the Winnipeg Branch celebrated the 60th Anniversary of their branch’s founding, the 50th Anniversary of their dance workshops, and the 100th Anniversary of the founding of RSCDS in Scotland.
Thank you to all our sponsors!
Grants Old Mill is located on Treaty 1 territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dene, and Dakota Peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation.