Put on your Sou’-Wester and tune up your fiddles, because WindsorEats is throwing the ultimate East Coast Kitchen Party bash!
On Friday, May 24, 2024, we’re bringing the Maritime vibes to the WindsorEats Food Hall (located at 400 Erie Street East in Windsor, Ontario) with a shindig that’ll make you feel like you’re dancing on the shores of Peggy’s Cove.
Join in on the kitchen ceilidh, where the fiddlers will be playing for you to do a step or two of traditional East Coast square dancing or belt out your favourite sea shanty.
Here are all the details you need to know about the very first East Coast Kitchen Party at the WindsorEats Food Hall.
WHAT IS THIS EAST COAST KITCHEN PARTY?
An East Coast Kitchen Party is a legendary get-together rooted in the Maritime provinces of Canada, including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. These parties are all about music, merriment, and making memories. Think of it as a cozy, musical celebration where friends and family gather in the kitchen (the heart of the home) to eat, drink, dance, and sing their hearts out.
WHERE AND WHEN IS THIS HAPPENING?
This East Coast Kitchen Party is happening at the WindsorEats Food Hall on Friday, May 24, 2024. The doors open at 5pm and it’ll go all night until 11pm.
The WindsorEats Food Hall is located at 400 Erie Street East in the Via Italia district of Windsor, Ontario. Just a heads up, our entryway is in the alleyway.
IS IT REALLY FREE TO ATTEND?
Absolutely!
IS IT CHILD AND PET FRIENDLY?
We’re always welcoming to well behaved children and pets. We even have games and colouring sheets and crayons, and even dog friendly non-alcoholic “beers”.
WILL THERE BE MUSIC?
Music is the lifeblood of any kitchen party. We’ve got Fiddle & Friends coming out to get the crowd hopping starting at 6pm and they’ll be playing until 10pm, striking up sing-alongs and maybe even a bit of step dancing. Then, a few of the band members will stick around and keep playing until the party is officially over.
Are you a musician with East Coast roots that wants to join them? We’re not going to discourage you from bringing your own instrument. Afterall, it’s not uncommon for guests to bring their own instruments and join in the fun at kitchen parties, turning the party into a jam session.
WILL THERE BE FOOD?
Of course! In addition to our regular food trucks Rico Taco, Frylicious, and Kaeru Snack Bar, chef Anthony Dalupan will be on site serving up some iconic East Coast treats like lobster rolls, donairs, clam chowder, and more!
IS IT INSIDE OR OUTSIDE?
Both! While most of the festivities will take place outdoors on Windsor’s largest patio, we also have indoor seating.
SCREECH-IN!!!
We’ll be giving everyone a chance to become an honourary Newfoundlander.
A “Screech In” is a unique and entertaining Newfoundland tradition that turns folks into honorary Newfoundlanders through a boisterous ceremony. Here’s what goes down in this fun rite of passage:
- Wear the Sou’wester: Put on that yellow rubber maritime hat!
- Kiss the Cod: The main event is where the participant must kiss a codfish. Yep, a real, slippery, smelly cod.
- Drink Screech Rum: After puckering up to the cod, you take a shot of Screech, a potent Newfoundland rum known for its strong flavor.
- Repeat the Oath: Next, you repeat an oath filled with local slang, pledging your loyalty to Newfoundland.
- Certificate: To cap it all off, you receive a certificate proclaiming you an honorary Newfoundlander.
The ceremony must be performed by a real, honest to goodness Newfoundlander. For $10 cash, guests will get to participate and receive the shot of screech, and the certificate.
IS THERE PARKING?
We always encourage our guests coming to have a good time to be responsible and find an alternative way to get here and back home. That being said, we have parking on the street directly in front of the WindsorEats Food Hall, in the gravel lot behind (to the north towards the river), and in a municipal lot on Howard Avenue just steps away which is free after 6pm.
We ask that you please do not park in the New Beginnings spaces or in the Nizam Pastry lot. If you do park there, don’t be surprised if your car isn’t there when you leave (ie. it’s been towed).
We are also a hub for Bird Canada scooters and there should be plenty parked outside.
