The Twelve Days of Christmas, Part 4
The Tenth Day of Christmas
Spend the day on Granville Island. The weekends are particularly festive, with workshops on making Gingerbread tree ornaments and house lanterns, and various choral performances in the afternoon. Buy fresh produce and gourmet food from the Granville Island Public Market, and tour the many artisans and craft stores for some unique gifts. The Kids Market is sure to thrill any child, and features a supervised play area if you need to do some secret shopping. Activities and Santa appearances will also keep the children pleasantly distracted. More adult attractions include the Granville Island Brewery: tours and tastings are available at noon, 2pm and 4pm daily. Eateries abound so the only problem in finding breakfast, lunch, or dinner is deciding where to go; the best way to make this decision is to make note of the various locations as you wander round so you’ll know where to go when you get hungry. To top off the day, the Arts Club Theatre is playing live stage performances of It’s a Wonderful Life at 8pm each night, and the associated Backstage Lounge makes the perfect stop for a nightcap.
The Eleventh Day of Christmas
Enjoy an evening winter walk along the seawall and watch the carol ships sail by. These decorated ships parade past various destinations around the Lower Mainland, but are guaranteed to pass by Canada Place and the Lions Gate Bridge each night, either shortly after 7pm or just after 9pm, depending on the direction. Complete schedules for sailings and shore side events can be accessed at www.carolships.org, and bookings can be made if you wish to gain a spot on one of the ships.
The Twelfth Day of Christmas
Celebrate the solstice at the Winter Solstice Lantern Festival on Monday, December 21st. Make lanterns at home or at the lantern workshop at Strathcona Community Centre from 4:30-6:30pm. If you’re stuck a tea light in a brown paper lunch bag makes a beautiful light, but you don’t need to have a lantern to enjoy the enchanting procession. Check out the Labyrinth of Light at Yaletown’s Roundhouse Community Centre, or the fire sculpture and performance on Granville Island. Festivities also take place in Chinatown and on the East Side, most begin at 6:00pm. The music and lights at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden and Park are spellbinding, and the East Side features concerts, storytellers, and lanterns for sale. Join Vancouver’s Secret Lantern Society in celebrating the rebirth of light on the shortest day of the year. Happy holidays!