Event Date: April 12-14, 2024 (Back-up alternate date will be April 19 - 21)

Location: Marmora Curling Club, 2 Crawford Dr, Marmora, Ontario

Camping:  PRE-ORDER HERE! 

• Friday & Sat night - $20 Adults, $10  Youth 13 - 16 yrs, Free for children 12 years and under

Meals: Pre-order deadline is April 2, 2024 PRE-ORDER HERE! 

• Friday Meal - Shepherd's Pie OR Veggie Shepherd's Pie, with Garden Salad & Assorted Squares for $22 

• Sat Meal - Roast Chicken OR Veggie Cabbage Rolls, with Roasted Potatoes, Mixed Veggies & Pie for $25

• Coffee and Tea Saturday/Sunday morning 7-10am: Curling Club will charge $1.50/mug

T-shirts: Pre-order deadline is March 21, 2024 PRE-ORDER HERE! 

• $20, Royal Blue, unisex style, design by Taylor Farquhar 

Grand Prize Raffle Tickets: $20 per ticket and sell a max of 100 for each prize.  PRE-ORDER HERE! 

• NRS Axiom Gore-Tex drysuit from Frontenac Outfitters & NRS  valued at $2,141 retail

• Pyranha Ozone - Size Medium - from Kayak Junky & Pyranha valued at $1461 retail

MACKfest 2024 Vendors: 

• Frontenac Outfitters - Grand Prize #1 (NRS Axiom Drysuit), Boat demos available 

• Kayak Junky - Grand Prize #2 (Pyrhana Ozone Medium), Boat demos available 

• Level 6 - Drysuits and Skirt demos available

• Paddler Co-op - Friday Creeking Clinic

• MKC - Madawaska Kanu Centre

• Wilderness Tours & Ottawa Kayak School

• Yip Yak Paddle Sports/Zet Kayaks

• Hastings Destination Trails Inc

Friday Schedule: 

• Creeking Clinic by Paddler Co-op (Click here for more info and to sign up)

• 12 noon - 5pm - Queensborough ‘Treats on the Black’ - bring cash for food

•  2pm - Curling Club will be open for  paddlers and vendors

• 4pm - 8pm - Registration desk open, pick up pre-purchased merch, meal tickets & raffle tickets

• 5pm - 12 midnight - Bar hours, Last call at 11pm

• Dinner hours: 5:30pm - 7:30pm Friday 

Saturday Schedule: 

• 7am - 10am - Curling Club open for warm-up, meet other paddlers and plan your day

• 8am - 11:30am - Lions Club Pancake Breakfast at the Community Centre for $10. (coffee mug refills can be purchased at the Community Centre for $2)

• 12 noon - 5pm - Queensborough ‘Treats on the Black’ - bring cash for food

• 2pm - Curling Club reopens for  paddlers and vendors 

• 4pm - 1am - Bar hours, Last call at 12 midnight

• 5:30pm - 7:30pm - Dinner hours

• 7:30pm - Jeff Pappin Tribute - moment of silence to honour Jeff

• 7:35pm Fundraiser Raffle -  funds will be donated to Marmora Helping Hands Food Bank & Central Hastings Support Network/Madoc Food Bank

• 8:30pm - Live music by the Valley Cats

Sunday Schedule: 

• 7am - 10am - Curling Club open for warm-up,meet other paddlers and plan your day, Coffee and tea available for $1.50 - bring your mug

• 12 noon - 5pm - Queensborough ‘Treats on the Black’ - bring cash for food

• 12 noon - Deadline for Campers to remove all tents, gear and vehicles from Fairground

• 1pm - Deadline for Vendors to be out of the Curling Club

Since its inception in 2008, the Marmora and Area Canoe and Kayak Festival, MACKfest for short, has grown significantly in popularity and developed a reputation as one of the “must make” spring whitewater festivals in Ontario.

This three-day whitewater paddler get-together is hosted at the Marmora Curling Club by volunteers from one of the largest recreational paddling clubs in Ontario, the Kawartha Whitewater Paddlers (KWP) recreational paddling club.  

Paddlers come together during this weekend to celebrate the start of the paddling season, see old friends and meet new ones.   There are some amazing rivers in the area known as the "highway 7 Runs" as they intersect Highway 7, running between Peterborough and Ottawa. Paddlers organize their own river expeditions during the MACKfest weekend then spend the rest of the time enjoying the event festivities...and some people just come for the event festivities!

• The Upper and Lower Black

• Beaver

• Skootamatta,

• Salmon,

• Crowe and others typically only flow in early spring with the snow melt and seasonal rain.

They feature river runs from Class II-IV as well as a number of quality park and play spots.

This annual festival is a great way to kickstart your paddling season, dust off your winter cobwebs and meet new and old friends. Aside from exciting spring boating, the event promises amazing prizes from many sponsors and great live music, with proceeds going to local community organizations and river advocacy initiatives.  Organizers are looking forward to boaters gathering in Marmora once again to celebrate spring paddling in Ontario!

A Little MACKfest History:

MACKfest and WO Advocacy have negotiated with landowners over time to establish and maintain river access land-sharing agreements on a number of the Highway 7 runs. We greatly appreciate the generosity of the following landowners:

1. Beaver Creek put-in at the hydro cut: This land is owned by Dale Reynolds and family

2. Beaver Creek Bridge Drop rapid: The land river right is owned by Natalie Zanussi 

3. Beaver Creek Fidlar’s Take-out: The grassy meadow is owned by Brenda Gorham

4. Upper Black River - BBB Falls portage on river right: The land is owned by Jerry and Kim Brodey and family

5. Upper Black River Take-out in Queensborough: This land is owned by Elaine and Lud Kapusta and family

6. Crowe Bridge play waves: River right wave access is on land owned by Lucille and Joe Orlando 

7. Skootamatta River Take-out: The cottage and trail at the take-out is owned by Phil Kompass and family