Victorians and visitors alike will be celebrating the holiday season with a series of events aimed at spreading cheer with a Royal B.C. Museum twist.
On Sunday (Dec 7), warm up for your door-to-door carolling by bringing family and friends to gather under the Centennial Carillon at the Royal B.C. Museum, to join together in song and holiday cheer.
Provincial carillonneur Rosemary Laing will climb the 75 stairs to the top of the carillon to play holiday favourites, while the crowd below joins in, led by the Newcombe Singers. Hot chocolate and cookies will help to make the season bright and at the end of the 45-minute set, the carillon will be lit up for the holidays.
Father Christmas will visit the museum’s Old Town to accept holiday wishes and have photos taken with the young ones from Dec. 5 to 21, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visiting with Father Christmas is included in admission or membership and photos are by donation. Visitors are also encouraged to share their photos with Father Christmas on Twitter with the #RBCMSanta hashtag.
For a look at a more traditional Christmas, visit the museum’s Helmcken House for an old-fashioned Christmas.
Step through the doors of the oldest house in British Columbia, still on its original site, and experience what Christmas would have been like in Victoria more than 100 years ago. Decorations, music and first-hand accounts will take you back to Christmas past.
Helmcken House Old-Fashioned Christmas runs from Dec. 20 to Jan. 4 and is included with regular museum admission or by donation.
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