Here’s what’s on at museums and related attractions up to the end of the year:
- The shortest day of the year will be upon us on Friday, December 21st. Bring a little light into your life by attending the Secret Lantern Society’s Winter Solstice Lantern Festival. Special festival events will be held at various locations throughout Vancouver from 6-10pm, but you will want to visit the Festival website to find the exact locations, times and activities of interest to you. Museum enthusiasts may want to attend the Strathcona festivities at the Strathcona Community Centre (lantern procession begins at 6pm) and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden where lanterns will be on display as will the community quilt created at the garden’s Winter Shadow Garden workshops. Other lantern processions will be held at Granville Island, the West End, and Yaletown. Other festival events will take place at Roundhouse Community Centre (7-10pm), False Creek Community Centre (7:30-9:30pm), Performance Works at Granville Island (7:30-9:30pm), and Britannia Community Centre (starts 6pm). The Secret Lantern Society notes on its website that this year’s events had to be scaled back due to the recent civic strike. If you enjoy your time at the events, please send your feedback to the society so that it can be used for requesting additional funding for future Winter Solstice Lantern Festivals.
- On Saturday, December 22nd, the Bowen Island Community Museum will have teddy bears on display for the museum’s annual Beary Merry Christmas. The display will be up until December 30th. If you’re going to Bowen Island, treat yourself to a delicious cup of hot chocolate at the island’s own Cocoa West chocolate cafe. The spicy hot chocolate options are terrific!
- Holiday festivities at Fort Langley National Historic Site begin Saturday, December 22nd. Sit by a fire, warm up with hot apple cider, make some old-fashioned Christmas ornaments, play a game of draughts, or go on one of the daily guided tours of the fort (at 11am and 2pm). There will be plenty of activities for the whole family, and the festivities run to January 6th. The historic site will be closed on December 25th and 26th and January 1st.
- The Port Moody Station Museum’s final Holiday Tea on the Train will take place Sunday, December 23rd from 1-4pm. Guests sip their tea on the 1921 Venosta railcar while listening to Christmas carols and other holiday music.
- Two exhibits at the Museum of Anthropology will be closing soon. Seeing is Believing: Photographs from the Archives displays a special selection of the 90,000+ historic photographs from the museum’s archival collection. Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas: Meddling in the Museum features “three site-specific installations inspired by the museum’s current Renewal Project” by Haida artist Yahgulanaas. Click here for more information about these exhibits, both of which close December 31st. – NOTE: Both exhibits are now being held over into 2008! Meddling in the Museum will run to April 28, 2008 and Seeing is Believing to June 30, 2008.
- The creative exhibit Rice is Life at the Vancouver Museum closes January 1st. This exhibit “explores rice’s deep significance in societies from all over the globe through history cultivation, culture, religion, ritual, science and modern day challenges of sustainability.” The columns of rice at the exhibit entrance are fascinating if you haven’t had the opportunity to look at several varieties of rice before. Click here for more information.
- The Vancouver Maritime Museum will be celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas from December 26th to January 6th. Visit the museum during this time with a non-perishable food item (for donation to the local Food Bank) and you will receive 12% off your admission to the museum. With a food donation, you can also receive 12% off the price of a museum membership purchased during the Twelve Days of Christmas. The museum will have crafts, storytelling and gallery talks all twelve days from 1-4pm (except December 31st when the museum closes early at 3pm).
- Enjoy some Winter Magic at Science World at Telus World of Science from December 27th to January 6th. Winter Magic is co-sponsored by the Society of American Magicians and will feature “roving entertainers, up-close magic, magic shows, and dazzling demonstrations” every day. Please contact the museum directly for more information or a schedule of events.
Ongoing:
- Haven’t finished your Christmas shopping? Check out the City Diorama museum shopping guide.
- To Jan. 1st: Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum (more info)
- To Jan. 1st: Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden (more info)
- To Jan. 5th: Canyon Lights at the Capilano Suspension Bridge (more info)
