By Suann Amero • Dartmouth • 2026-09-16
They say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. But that's not true of Sapphic Sleepaway 2026, because I'm about to spill the tea, and perhaps leave you marking your calendar for Sapphic Sleepaway 2027! If you identify as a woman who loves women or are involved in a sapphic relationship, I have one question: why didn’t I meet you at Sapphic Sleepaway on August 14 to 16? It was the place to be this summer.
Let me set the scene: Whispering Winds Campground is in Shubenacadie, just south of Truro. A field in a back corner is dedicated to sapphic shenanigans: tents, trailers, gazebos, outhouses, a pink Jeep, a U-Haul of course, and 54 lesbians or otherwise sapphic aligned folks.
What could go wrong? Nothing – because this weekend was blessed by Sappho herself. Fifty-four of the best humans I’ve ever met gathered to have a good time and make connections that could last a lifetime.
When you entered the camping area on the Friday evening, the registration tent gave you the option of different coloured armbands to indicate what kind of connection, if any, you were interested in. There were options for:
- taken,
- just friends,
- single and ready to mingle,
and any combination thereof, and, there was an armband to indicate that you did not want to be photographed.
Friday afternoon was really about arrivals and getting settled. Straight out the gate, there was such camaraderie and a willingness to help each other out. Everyone was pitching in with setting up tents, making fires, and just generally making everyone feel comfortable and welcome. To end the evening there was a campfire, introductions of all the campers who had arrived, and a fun game of People Bingo.
We went to bed having met so many new people, learning so many things about each other already, and looking forward to our breakfast of muffins and hot drinks donated by Tim Horton’s in Stewiacke.
On Saturday, after morning meditation and yoga, there was time to check out the adults-only campground pool where many of the attendees convened for a couple of hours before heading back to the field for more socializing and festivities.
There were relay races, lots of wiener-related games that we all were surprisingly into for a group of lesbians! There was a water balloon toss, followed by a full out water balloon war. Once all these games were out of the way, my favourite event of the weekend took place: lube wrestling! Need I say more?
We had eight brave contenders for the title of Lube Wrestling Champion and they certainly put on a great show. Our wrestlers entered the pool of lube in twos, with the goal being to pin the shoulders of your opponent for a count of three to be declared the winner. Four matches, with those subsequent winners going head-to-head and toe-to-toe, until finally only one person remained and took home the prize: the Lube Wrestling Champion took home a one-night stay at the Old Orchard Inn in Wolfville.
We had a break in planned events while our wrestlers got cleaned up, then a nice meal of hamburgers and hotdogs – thanks Shannon and Stephanie for cooking!
Our emcee for Dirty Bingo, Rouge Fatale, showed up at 7 pm... Drag Standard Time, to lead us through five games of Bingo and let me tell you, the prizes were worth all the mosquito bites!
The Dirty Bingo prizes were of the toe-curling variety, courtesy of Pleasures & Treasures and Backlot HFX Lounge & Nightclub. A HUGE shoutout to Michael at Backlot for his generosity in this regard. Sadly, my unlucky streak held and I did not win at bingo. Pleasures & Treasures was on site during the bingo shenanigans with a tax-free sale, which meant no one had to leave empty handed.
I honestly wonder if there was a single person who went home empty handed.
Saturday evening ended with karaoke like you’ve never seen before. A cathartic rendition of Alanis Morisette’s “You Oughta Know” really set the stage and it just kept getting better. Lyrics to songs were changed to make them more “lesbian” – you can always make everything more lesbian! – and Celine Dion was given a run for her money. We got a great cover of Teenage Dirtbag and so many other great tunes. There were prizes for the best performances.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a minute to talk about the many, many prizes. I honestly wonder if there was a single person who went home empty handed. There were prizes for every game that we played, prizes for every event, prizes for simply attending. Organizers Kimberley Fowlow and Tasha Peters did a phenomenal job of reaching out to businesses and got a fabulous response with donations and prizes. In addition to donations from businesses, there were personal offerings from folks within our community who graciously donated prizes and supplies to make this weekend a success.
Saturday night ended on a high note – quite literally – and Sunday morning dawned with the sad reality of pending goodbyes. We started our day, again, with morning meditation and yoga practice, before having our last campsite breakfasts and starting the bittersweet task of packing up.
After months of hard work and planning, Kimberley and Tasha saw their hard work pay off in a big way: friendships were made, romantic connections were forged, and we left with “I can’t wait for next year” on our lips. The good news is that plans for next year are already underway.
The organizers are planning Sapphic Sleepaway 2027. If you know the perfect place for it to be held, please tell the organizers.
If you are interested in joining in the fun next summer, please join us on Facebook and/or Instagram where you’ll be the first to hear details of Sapphic Sleepaway 2027 and any other events that might be planned throughout the year.
Socials: Facebook & Instagram.
