As we head into the darkest day of the year, during one of the most challenging years for global news and developments, I feel compelled to bring some cheer to my column this week. The challenge with this is that I find the winter solstice to be disheartening and bleak. It’s my absolute least favourite day of the year. The only good thing about this day to me is that we turn the corner to my favourite day of the year: — the summer solstice in June, when we get 15 glorious hours of sunlight in The Kawarthas.
There are many who embrace the historic traditions of the winter solstice and to them I say: more power to you, but I’ll see you on June 21st. So to counteract my gloominess (yes, I’m a lot of fun at seasonal parties), I’ve reached deep into the kawarthaNOW.com database to find recommendations for these holiday days, including how to enjoy the outdoors and ways to keep the kids busy while out of school.
Celebrate the winter solstice
Unless you’re in England to watch the sun rise between the stones at Stonehenge on the winter solstice, you’ll want to head to downtown Peterborough on the evening of December 21 for a lantern-lit parade during the first annual Light Hunters’ Promenade (photo: Mark Grant / Wikipedia)
I mentioned this last week, but since it’s actually happening this week and is a true solstice event, they deserve a second mention. Celebrate the winter solstice with Light Hunters’ Promenade, which takes place for the first time on Wednesday, December 21st and has all the potential to become a popular annual event.
Join Atelier Ludmila and friends (best known for their Artsweek and local outdoor theatre productions) along with local artists, drummers, performers, business owners, and a host of light seekers, as they create a paper lantern-lit procession through the streets of downtown Peterborough. This lovely and creative event takes place from 6 to 8 p.m., beginning at the Peterborough Square courtyard behind Market Hall. Bring your own lantern or meet them at 5 p.m. to buy a lantern of your very own.
The event is based on timeless ceremonies celebrating the return of the light on the winter solstice. Members of Old Men Dancing, Peterborough Academy for Circus Performers will join the procession. The event is free to the public, but donations are gratefully accepted (the suggested donation is $10 per family). For more information, visit the Facebook event page.
Keeping the kids busy over the holidays
Let’s face it, when the presents are all opened and the turkey comas wear off, boredom soon sets in and every parent needs a plan. You might not be aware that our events database is constantly topped up and often boasts 900 to 1400 or more events at any given time, along with 1,200 or more venue listings. So my job this week it to point you to how to make good use of all that info! You can access all of our events columns here.
We’ve got lots of events for both kids and older kids listed in our Children’s Events column and our Youth Events columns — including public skating over the holidays.
Everyone likes to take in a film over the holidays, and we’ve got the only regional movie listings.
Skating anyone? We have, hands down, the most comprehensive listing of indoor and outdoor skating across The Kawarthas. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter feeds for updates on when canal skating begins at the Lift Lock in Peterborough.
If you’re excited about the snow we have this year then you’re likely to also be excited by many of the outdoor events we’ve got listed in our Outdoor Events column.
If you’re wondering about what’s open and closed over the holidays, visit our site later this week for our popular “What’s Open and Closed” list of holiday hours for over 200 businesses, organizations, and services across The Kawarthas.
Ringing in 2017
If you’re planning now for what to do on New Year’s Eve (and New Year’s Day), we’ve got you covered. Our New Year’s Events column will be updated up to the last minute!
For both family-friendly and adults-only New Year’s Eve celebrations, our music columnist Josh Fewings has selected his top picks.
My own top pick for New Year’s Eve, based on entertainment value and local talent, is The Rocket Revue with special guest Beau Dixon at Parkway Banquet Hall. Tickets are still available, at either the Parkway Banquet Hall or at Moondance in downtown Peterborough. Read all the details here.
For family and kids, an early event for New Year’s Eve is the Annual Family NYE Party with local jug band Blues in the Bottle. This year, the party begins at 5 p.m. at the Nexicom Studio at Showplace Performance Centre and runs until 8 p.m. There’ll even be an early countdown to 2017 for children so they too can celebrate as well. Advance tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children and grandparents, or $20 for the whole family (or $30 at the door for a family).
Organizers also encourage people to bring a food item for YES Shelter for Youth and Families, and maybe a snack for the food table at the event. Tickets are available at the Showplace box office, online at www.showplace.org, or by calling 705-768-5658.
Save the date!
If you’ve been following my columns these past few weeks. you know that we’re in store for a huge spring of stellar entertainment.
Showplace has just announced a few more shows, with an extensive lineup of entertainment for the entire family and all musical tastes. Of special note are upcoming concerts by Murray McLauchlan, Colin James, Royal Wood, The Piano Men, Matt Andersen, Next Generation Leahy, Bubble Guppies Live, and many more!
You can find all of their upcoming concerts at our Showplace Performance Centre events column.
If you’d like to have your event considered as a top pick, your first step is to make sure to submit it to our event system.
If you want to be in the know about what’s coming up (and maybe win tickets!), you should subscribe to our VIP Enews which will arrive in your inbox every Wednesday morning — along with a link to the most recent version of this column. Sign up for our VIP Enews here.
Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think by posting a comment below.
