Check out the Events Page to see some of the lovely things for families to do at Black Creek Pioneer Village this holiday season. It’s not about any denomination or ethnic group: it really is Christmas for everyone. We already get it at the shopping malls, why not show the kids how it used to be. Every day is Christmas at the Village, from now until it closes for the season on December 23rd.
I was at Black Creek last Friday and visited the Cabinet Maker’s shop. He demonstrated toys that children would have played with in pioneer times. I was struck by how excellent the staff at the Village are: they are knowledgeable and really know how to present themselves and their information. The group I was with asked questions and enjoyed the encounter very much.
If you haven’t gone lately, take your kids! It’s magical at there at Christmas.
The cabinet maker at Black Creek Pioneer Village
December has a weird series of unfortunate anniversaries in a row: the 6th is the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre (how do you explain that one to your kids?); the 7th is the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor (not as immediate for our generation, but an event very much on a scale with 9/11 for its time), and today, December 8, the anniversary of John Lennon’s murder. A week ago I was in New York City with my son and we happened across the Lennon memorial in Central Park.
This mandala is in Strawberry Fields, a part of Central Park dedicated to the memory of John Lennon.
It’s a beautiful spot with signs encouraging people to be quite and contemplative when they enter the area. And that is just one of the things we saw.
Every year at the end of November we drive down to New York State to celebrate American Thanksgiving with great family friends. They have a farm in the country so the trip usually involves some good, healthy outdoor work, a great way to metabolize the Thanksgiving Feast. Just to be clear: we feast and work on different days.
Beautiful Upstate New York
Christmas is coming! For most of us that is a special time of year, but with reports that record numbers of Canadians are accessing food banks across the country, this Christmas will not be so easy for many families.
I’m happy to report that Black Creek Pioneer Village is joining the Toy Mountain campaign organized by CTV and the Salvation Army. Visitors to the Village are asked to bring new, unwrapped toys which will be distributed later to children in need of a little extra cheer this year.
Let’s do what we can to help each other out. A little generosity can go a long way, and help make this a better city for all of us.
The Christmas, visitors to Black Creek will get a chance to see a real Gingerbread Village. Last week I got a sneak peak a the entries in the Gingerbread house competition. Entrants were students at culinary schools,caterers, or serious bakers, and each person created a replica of one of the buildings in Black Creek Pioneer Village. It was really cool!
Gingerbread Village competition at Black Creeek
It’s that time again – when our kids will bring home their first report cards for the school year. Apparently they’re going to look a little different. CBC’s Metro Morning had an interesting interview yesterday with Annie Kidder of People for Education about the new “Progress Reports we can expect this week. Rather than listing marks in the different subjects we’ll read whether our child is progressing “well,” “with difficulty,” or “very well” in each subject.
I think this is a great idea.
The Fall is a wonderful time to visit Black Creek Pioneer Village. The leaves have turned, the air is cooler, and the fires are burning to keep the homes warm. There are activities for children and adults every day of the week.
Come out and enjoy!
School children learning about life in pioneer times.
I dropped my younger son off at his school on Friday and watched the parade of children in costume arriving. There were smiles all around. I watched a girl get out of a car in a very clever homemade cow costume. She was beaming! There were princesses (of course) and many ghoulish bloodied figures. The teachers were dressed up too, and the whole thing had a happy, festive atmosphere.
Dressing up is so much fun!
The "princess" in this photo is actually my older son. But that's what you get when you have three older sisters who like dressing you up!
What place could be better for experiencing a bit about Halloween? Black Creek Pioneer Village is represents a complete 1860s community, an era when superstitions and spooky traditions ran strong. It’s a great outing for the modern family! For younger children, I recommend Howling Hootenanny, which takes place during the daytime this Saturday and Sunday. For older kids, there is nothing like All Hallows’ Eve, where you can experience the Village at night, ghost stories and all.
Children can decorate their own pumpkins at the Howling Hootenanny at Black Creek
