Hey Fever!

Hey Fever! is back!

Hey Fever! registration is now sold out!
Waitlist, lunch info, cancellation info at

Hey Fever! Registration

Hey Fever!ย is a full weekend of contra dancing from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. We love that so many out of town dancers join us for this total blast of a weekend.

Hey Fever! 2024

Past Hey Fever! weekends (pre Covid) were a pure joy that were hugely enjoyed by EVERYONE who attended! And now Hey Fever! 2024 is going to happen!

The 2024 bands are Elixir and Peach Jam.

Elixir’s a well known and highly enjoyed band who has delighted many a contra dance. See Elixir (elixirmusic.com) site for more about them!

Made in the Ottawa Valley, and highly enjoyed, Peach Jam preserves a wild confection of Appalachian, Scottish, Irish, French-Canadian, and original dance music, sometimes sweet, sometimes tart, but always delicious. Paul Hawtin, James Stephens, and Duncan Gillis use fiddle, bagpipes, cittern, whistles, Slovakian fujara, resophonic gittern, and guitar to create their secret blend, but you’ll have to come out to see who plays what!

The 2024 callers are Nils Fredland and Alexandra Deis-Lauby.

For more info on the Hey Fever! dance location check out Location, getting there, food โ€“ Ottawa Contra.

The dance weekend schedule is now posted at Hey Fever! Schedule.

We’ll use the terms Larks and Robins for calling left and right positions at Hey Fever! ๐Ÿ™‚

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News for out-of-town dancers about Hey Fever! and occasionally other events worth travelling for.

Ottawa dancers: our regular newsletter covers Hey Fever! news as well; please don’t sign up here or you’ll get duplicate emails. Sign up for the local newsletter instead.

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Local Ottawa dancers, don’t sign up here. Instead, sign up for the regular newsletter; it covers Hey Fever news as well as local dance news.
Hey Fever! 2018 Photo: Nonni Iler

Hey Fever 2018: Genticorum with Lisa Greenleaf calling:

Here’s what dancers said about some past Hey Fevers!

2019: “It was the epitome of fun.” “We had a 7 hour drive to and from the dance but it was totally worth it.” “I HAD SO MUCH FUN AT HEY FEVER!!! You changed my life.” “I finished the weekend feeling like I’d been away on vacation.” “I never once felt like an outsider.” “very community minded.

2018: “Amazing bands, wicked callers, awesome crowd, smooth organization” “superb event.” “Great dance! This was my first year and I’ll definitely be back!!” “This was such a spectacular Hey Fever!” “some of the highest quality talent at an event;” “already looking forward to the next one.”

2017: “Was fabulous from start to finish.” “Everyone had a blast.” “I cried a little when it was over.” “My first full weekend dancing, I couldn’t imagine better.” “Hey Fever is becoming one of our favorite dance weekends. It’s a long way from central New Hampshire to Ottawa, but well worth the trip.”

2016: “Hey Fever is one of my favourite dance weekends.” “I can’t imagine a better time.” “Your community in Ottawa is so incredibly wonderful!” “I *love* Hey Fever.” “Totally worth traveling 3000 miles!” “It just gets better every year!” “It was perfect.”