YUle Craft

Yule Craft is Fern + Roe’s winter solstice gathering.

Solstice is a precipice. What we do in Solstice carries us the Next year.

Welcome to Solstice Season.

The longest night of the year was historically considered a “time out of time.” One year has died but a new one has not yet emerged. The world is still. And we are meant to be as well.

We invite you to our farm + tannery to take your time: take time out of your usual rhythm. Take time to pause, to craft, and to make intention for the year ahead.

Reserve my Spot

Why retreat in the busiest season of the year?

Exactly.

Christmas x consumerism isn’t for everyone.

-> We didn’t create Yule Craft as a commercial-christmas-alternative - but it made the space for people who need this. At our first gathering last year, people told us how outsider they feel to the holiday hustle. They came to recharge. They came to be more culturally aligned. They came to learn some pre-commercial traditions that originally made this time of year so meaningful + so fabulous for all our ancestors.

Sometimes you just need a structure to actually rest.

-> We’ve got you. We’ve prepped the hide tanning for you, so it’s light-work with lots of breaks. Our downtime is spacious, the bonfire (yes a real bonfire) is lit, and so is the sauna. You can turn your phone off; you can dip in + out with the group gathering as you need.

Intention-setting is powerful.

-> At Fern + Roe, we are land-based craftspeople + we are entrepreneurs. So we need to track the seasons + plan ahead. But honestly, everyone needs this. It is a deep part of being human. We share a traditional solstice ritual with you, offered from Mara’s lineage research. We heard from people months later how powerful this ritual was in the moment + for their year.

Making buckskins in our tannery

Our Story

We are Mara and Mark; we run Fern + Roe natural leather tannery on southern Vancouver Island.

Last year, we moved to our dream farm and hosted Yule Craft for the first time. It was our first big event. It lit the hosting fire for us. We discovered our love of hospitality and sharing the work of place-making for a group. Besides being hide tanners, Mark is a trained chef + Mara is an events planner. We finally got the chance to combine our skillsets right from our home + welcome people to a space with intention and care.

What you step into at Yule Craft:

Hide tanning Course: tan a deerskin into buckskin cloth: hair-off, linen-like cloth for crafting + creating

Solstice Ritual: a two-part traditional winter solstice ritual, 30-45min on Saturday and Sunday evenings at the bonfire.

Shared Dinner: a winter feast, served by Mark with inspiration from our friend Carmen Spagnola of the Numinous Kitchen.

Sauna + downtime: we rent a famous Wildwood Sauna + park it next to our pond for cold plunges. Spend time in the historic Farmhouse Parlour to rest, journal, and plan your year. Sit at one of the curated spots around the farm. Visit our farm animals to take it easy when you’re not tanning hide (we keep the hide tanning light for this one).

The Details:

Dates: Friday, December 19 to Sunday, December 21

Schedule: arrival Friday afternoon; conclusion Sunday evening

Location: Anneth Farm in North Saanich, BC on the WSANEC Peninsula

Cost: Regular $597 CAD. Limited early tickets on sale now for $477.

Reserve my Spot

Yule Craft is for you if…

  • The consumerist holiday season is not your vibe

  • You’ve always wanted to tan hides - or tan more hides - but who has the time?

  • You want to make the most of your year ahead

FAQs of Yule Craft

  • You are provided a prepared rawhide deer hide. On Saturday, we apply fat + soften the hide until it is dry + silky. On Sunday, you pair up with a partner and smoke your hide, turning into tanned buckskin.

  • The solstice ritual is a two-part traditional Nordic winter solstice ritual, held at the bonfire under a canvas tent. We won’t reveal all the details…Come prepared to think about your year ahead and your personal goals.

  • Outdoor: Camping on the land is included in your spot for all brave winter campers (it doesn’t get that cold in the PNW :) ). Access to a washroom with hot shower is available for campers.

    Indoor: There are two rooms in the Farmhouse for rent for $140/night (Blue Room) and $160/night (Yellow Room).

  • Friday, December 19:

    2pm to 4pm - hide tanning

    6pm - dinner (provided)

    Saturday, December 20:

    10am to 4pm - hide tanning

    6pm - dinner (provided)

    9pm - solstice ritual, Pt 1

    Sunday, December 21:

    10am to 4pm: Smoking hides, only 1 hour required of each pair (rest of the day is yours to enjoy)

    5pm - solstice ritual, Pt 2

    6pm - dinner (potluck)

  • We are in North Saanich - 15 minutes south of Swartz Bay ferry terminal, 10 minutes from Victoria International Airport, and 35 minutes north of the city of Victoria.

    You can arrive here by ferry:

    BC Ferries

    Blackball Ferry

    Seattle Clipper Ferry

    By plane:

    Floatplane to Patricia Bay or Victoria Downtown

    Commercial jet to YYJ

December 19 - 21, 2025 | North Saanich, BC

Included in Yule Craft:

  • Materials + instruction to tan a deer hide

  • Farm-sourced winter feast on Friday + Saturday nights

  • Solstice goal-setting ritual

  • Unlimited sauna time

  • Camping on the land

  • Take home your hand-tanned new buckskin + your intentions for the New year

Value of $750. Regular price only $597.
Limited early seats for $477!

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