FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

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Where does An Unholy Harvest take place?

An Unholy Harvest takes place in one main venue, Breathless Ottawa (318 Lisgar St. – see map), and one satellite venue, Pink Triangle Services (251 Bank St. suite 301 – see map), which are located a couple of short blocks apart from one another in central downtown Ottawa.

Where should I stay when I come to Ottawa?

UPDATE: The Inn on Somerset is a popular place for Harvesters to stay, but they are CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS this year. Last we checked they had not contacted all the people who had made early reservations for the weekend. If you are one of them, please make alternate arrangements for lodgings! The following list may be helpful.

The Best Western Victoria Park Suites (613-567-7275) is located less than a mile from the main venue, and offers indoor parking and two double beds per room. If you’re doing this on a budget, this is a great deal. There’s a kitchenette in each suite so you can eat in and store food in your room, and a deluxe continental breakfast is included in your price. Other amenities include a gym, saunas, in-room safes, and two rooms specially designed for maximum accessibility.

The Jailhouse Hostel is a little further afield, but still walkable, and an awesome place to stay on a budget. It's steeped in history, and there's even a museum on the top floor. Book soon if you want to stay in this unique hostel.

The Albert at Bay Hotel is a somewhat longer walk away (or a very short drive) and offers absolutely enormous suites for very reasonable prices. Great if you’re looking to share with a few other people.

Room-sharing

Once your registration form and payment have been received, we’ll send you an e-mail inviting you to join the Yahoo! group set up exclusively for attendees. It’s a great place to look for roomshares and rideshares!

I've never been to an event like this and I'm terrified. What will happen to me when I show up?

One of our priorities at An Unholy Harvest is to make sure that we’re welcoming to novice players and people who are otherwise new to the leather scene. We cultivate a warm and friendly atmosphere and we actively work to encourage first-timers to screw up their nerve and attend. If that means you—well, consider yourself encouraged!

We welcome a wonderful diversity of participants, so nobody will expect you to look, act or play “just like everyone else.” There’s no dress code for the weekend so you don’t need a closetful of expensive leather gear to fit in (although if you like dressing up, rest assured you will not be the only one!). We run a “Fresh Meet” workshop first thing on Saturday morning with plenty of get-to-know-you games to help get you started, along with tips on how to meet and cruise people and just generally have a good time over the weekend. And there will be a number of workshops that are especially welcoming to new players, whether you’re looking to understand the mechanics of swinging a flogger or deepen your perspective on dominant/submissive dynamics. Also, we’ve got a fabulous team of PICs (People In Charge) who are there to help you out if you’ve got questions or concerns; look for their faces on the PIC poster and feel free to say hello or ask for help anytime throughout the weekend.

This year, for the first time, we’ll be setting up a buddy system for new attendees in which, upon your request, we’ll pair you up with a friendly person who’s come to the event before in case you need to chat about anything, ask questions about how things go, or have someone to check in with throughout the weekend. Send us a note at unholyharvest@yahoo.ca if you’d like to be given a buddy, or if you’ve attended before and would like to act as a buddy!

What’s this year’s event theme?

Step right up! Buy a ticket for the big top and slip into the glitz and glam of our sexy, pervy circus party! This year, Harvest lets loose the dark and dirty side of the circus. Friday night’s kickoff will let you step through the funhouse mirror and soak up a world of mystery, artifice and sleight-of-hand. That night, the people wearing the best “Cirque du Sado”-inspired get-ups—ringmasters, trapeze acts, big cats, contortionists, magicians and more—will win prizes, decided by applause. Whether you win or not, expect much cheerful lechery and heartfelt appreciation for your look and your creativity. Costumes are not obligatory, but they sure are fun!

I’d like to help out at the event by volunteering. How do I apply?

We’d love to have you join us as a volunteer! Visit our volunteer page to find out more.

I’m Jewish, and this year’s Harvest falls on Yom Kippur. Are you doing anything to accommodate this?

We recognize that Yom Kippur is a significant holiday for many of our participants, and that because Harvest falls on Yom Kippur, some people may not be able to attend this year. Unfortunately, with advance venue bookings and the lack of any other long weekend in the fall season, we are not able to change our event dates. We want to assure you that if you are of the Jewish faith and you choose to attend, you will not be the only one. If you choose not to attend, we very much look forward to seeing you next year instead.

Je suis francophone. Est-ce que les activités du weekend me sont accessibles?

An Unholy Harvest (Une moisson impie) se déroule principalement en anglais. Cependant, la présence francophone à l’événement est importante et les organisatrices parlent couramment français. Cliquez ici pour lire une description en français de l’événement!

What are you doing to make Harvest more accessible for people with disabilities?

Our main space, Breathless, is not wheelchair-accessible; the entrance is up a wide flight of 22 stairs and the bathrooms are not sized to accommodate a wheelchair. However, once inside, the space is large and open and has no raised areas or steps.

Our usual satellite workshop spaces are located just around the corner from Breathless. Two-thirds of our daytime workshops on Saturday and Sunday are generally held in those satellite spaces. The building that houses those spaces is fully wheelchair-accessible, with a short ramp into the front door, elevators in the lobby for access to the two spaces, and wheelchair-accessible bathrooms in each space.

You can read more about specific initiatives on our accessibility page.

I’m sensitive to fragrances and chemicals. Is An Unholy Harvest a safe space for me?

While we want to be as scent-free as possible, within the context of a leather event (with the smell of leather among other things) a fully scent-free environment is impossible to create without compromising the nature of the event itself. Recognizing that we cannot make this a scent-free event then, we do aim to reduce the scents in the air by asking attendees to be “scent-aware.” We encourage attendees to be aware of how using certain products (perfumes, oils, hair products, etc.) can diminish someone else’s ability to enjoy the workshops and play parties that they attend. As such, we ask that you be as close to scent-free as is possible for you.

Visit our accessibility page for a list of scents you may encounter at Harvest and for more detailed information about how to be scent-aware!

I'd love to give a workshop or lead a discussion at An Unholy Harvest. How do I send in a proposal?

Our presentation proposal application period is closed for 2011. Get your ideas ready for 2012!

I'd really like to attend some of the weekend's events, but not all of them. Can I pay a partial registration fee just for the parties or just for the workshops?

An Unholy Harvest is intended to be a full-weekend experience. With that in mind, we don’t sell partial packages. Of course you’re welcome to register and then show up to only the events that most interest you, but we really encourage you to immerse yourself in the leatherdykery!

I'm on a limited income and I can't afford your registration fee. Is there anything you can do for me?

In an effort to make sure that An Unholy Harvest is accessible to people from a range of economic circumstances, we established a scholarship program in 2008. A minimum of four individuals will be awarded a scholarship, which covers the full registration cost for An Unholy Harvest. Applications are confidential and accepted on an ongoing basis until all scholarships have been awarded. For more information, check out our registration page.

Do you have an online registration system this year?

Visit our registration page for details.

I registered, but my family is insisting that I join them for turkey dinner so I have to cancel. What's your cancellation policy?

If you cancel your registration prior to September 30, you are entitled to a 75% refund; we will retain 25% of your fee. Registration fees are not refundable after September 30.

I'm not registered, but a whole bunch of my friends are coming up for the weekend. Can I just attend a play party or film screening with them?

Unfortunately, we cannot admit non-attendees to any events, both for safety and legal reasons. If you’re not a registered participant, you will be turned away at the door (even if you’re super hot and even if we like you!). We encourage you to register for the weekend and enjoy as much of it as you can!

What kind of food do you serve at the event?

We provide munchies, coffee and tea during our Fresh Meet event on Saturday morning, and we lay out a table of snacks during each of the three play parties. As much as possible, those snacks are gluten-free, vegan and organic (and labelled as such), and we endeavour to minimize food waste. Unfortunately the trade-off is that we need to use more packaging than we’d prefer to. Check out our Help Harvest section if you’d like to donate so we can further improve our food offerings!

For your breakfast, lunch and dinner, there are many restaurants and grocery stores in the blocks directly surrounding the event venue. A list is provided in the conference program for your convenience. Breathless does not have kitchen facilities, but you are welcome to use the tables at lunch and dinnertime to make sandwiches and similar items if you purchase ingredients, and you can bring food into all the event venues at any time.

When did Harvest get started?

We’re working on a history page to tell you all about how Harvest got its start. We’re not quite done, but in the meantime, check out the page anyway to get links to the archived websites from the past four editions of Harvest!

An Unholy Harvest extends its sincerest thanks to our 2011 sponsors!