On the first day of Christmas…

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/12/2021 (1735 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Remember Christmas of 2020, where the second wave of COVID-19 forced all of the usual fun and festivities to be kiboshed, stores to sell only essential goods, and all of us to forgo our annual traditions with family and friends in favour of zoom visits and phone calls?

Thanks to vaccines and willingness of the vast majority of Winnipeggers to roll up their sleeves, this Christmas season will not be a repeat. Many of the activities we enjoy have made their triumphant returns.

It’s time to give your Manitoba Immunization Card a workout — there are 12 full days full of opportunities for revelry before the big day arrives. Here, we’ll take a look at just some of the different things to do before Christmas Day.

 

Take in a big helping of hockey

What’s a Winnipeg winter without hockey?

The Winnipeg Ice are burning up the Western Hockey League and are first place in their conference. They’re on the road right now, but will return to Wayne Fleming Arena at the University of Manitoba campus on Dec. 18 for a “Trans-Canada” rivalry game with the Brandon Wheat Kings. The atmosphere at the “Ice Cave” is excellent and the tickets are affordable.

There are also a trio of Winnipeg Jets home games before the fat man comes down the chimney — a three-game homestand sees the Buffalo Sabres (Dec. 14, 7 p.m.), Washington Capitals (Dec. 17, 7 p.m.) and St. Louis Blues (Dec. 19, 2 p.m.) come to Canada Life Centre.

Unlike in years past, single-game Jets tickets are widely available, so it’s the perfect time to give the Jets fanatic in your life an early gift.

 

Get your hands on some sweet bakery treats

Christmas is the time for indulging in all sorts of baked goods — your treadmill won’t get lonely if you don’t use it until January, we promise — so it’s the perfect time to pop into some local bakeries and get your hands on their seasonal specialties.

This author would personally recommend The Crusty Bun (1026 St. Mary’s Rd. and 8-925 Headmaster Row) for yuletide treats such as stollen — a dense, sweet, rum-infused bread full of raisins, almonds, orange and lemon peel, and dusted with confectioner’s sugar and filled with a ribbon of marzipan — and nibbles such as spritzgeback, vanillekipferl, and spekulatius.

He’d also recommend French patisserie A l’Epi de Ble (1757 Main St.) for a decadent and stunning bûche de Noël and the long-standing Tall Grass Prairie Bread Co. (859 Westminster Ave. and The Forks Market) for traditional Icelandic Vinarterta.

 

Fire up the oven

While it’s fun to try the wares of local bakeries, it’s also fun to bake up a storm of your own.

Whether your skills are basic or advanced, baking by yourself or with the whole family can be a great holiday activity. Doling out the end results of a busy day in the kitchen to family and friends is also an easy way to spread a little joy around. Who doesn’t love to receive homemade treats?

If you don’t know where to start, check out the annual Free Press 12 Days of Christmas Cookies feature for some inspiration.

 

Enjoy farmers market fun

Farmers markets aren’t only great summer and fall places to visit — they’re also a great way to support our local makers at Christmas.

The Downtown Farmers market in Cityplace on Dec. 16 (10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) boats a wide variety of vendors offering local vegetables, fruits, baking, preserves, meat, cheese, crafts, jewelry, and other artisan wares.

The South Osborne Holiday Market — happening today at Lord Roberts Community Centre from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. — has also returned (proof of vaccination required), as have the Sunday Markets at Assiniboia Downs. The latter features 60-plus vendors and takes place today and next Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

At any of these markets, you’re bound to find some great edible gifts, the perfect elements for a heck of a charcuterie, or a high-quality gift the hard-to-shop-for person on your list — we all have one, don’t we? — will love.

 

Light up your night at the Zoo

If you need banging shots of Christmas lights for the ’gram, the Assiniboine Park Zoo is the place to go.

Zoo Lights is back for a second time in 2021 — restrictions prevented it from opening last Christmas but it did open later into last winter. The author can confirm it’s stunning, with nearly 1.5 million lights of every colour imaginable festooning trees, arches, and framework versions of the Zoo’s denizens.

Along the walking loop of lights, there are plenty of spots to grab a hot drink, sweet treat, or full meals, and there are two heated entertainment tents as well.

Zoo Lights runs until Jan. 2 and is open from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. nightly — yes, it sadly is dark enough at 5 p.m. to look at Christmas lights — but is closed on the 13th, 20th, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Tickets are $12.75 and can be purchased online; proof of vaccination for attendees 12 and older is required. See https://www.assiniboinepark.ca/zoo/zoolights for more details.

 

Consult the Winnipeg Christmas Map and take a holiday drive

If being outside in the cold isn’t your thing, you can still see some great decorations and decked-out houses without ever leaving the comfort of your warm car.

Winnipegger Carol Cassell — who was recently interviewed by the Free Press’ Aaron Epp — has created the Winnipeg Christmas Map, a Google Map where each Santa-hat and star pin designates a lit-up home or holiday attraction. There’s also a Facebook page of the same name with more than 25,000 members.

No matter where you live in the city, there are great houses near you — Linden Woods’ Candy Cane Lane isn’t the only option any more. The stars on the map, for example, represent “the most decorated homes in Winnipeg” and can be found in every neighbourhood.

If you happen to be a Clark Griswold type with a house that may or may not be able to be seen from space — “250 strands of lights, 100 individual bulbs per strand for a grand total of 25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights!” — you can add your home to the map by filling out a Google sheet.

“One of the best parts of making the maps is when people message me to say, ‘This has made a difference, this has brought me joy,’” Cassell told the Free Press last month. “That has been wonderful.”

See a Christmas classic at RWB

Clara, the Prince, the Mouse King, the Sugar Plum Fairy… you may know them well but that doesn’t make the holiday ballet par excellence any less enjoyable.

The Nutcracker has returned to the Centennial Concert Hall stage and going to see the two-act, Tchaikovsky-scored production is a beloved tradition for many families. The charming, whimsical ballet opens on Dec. 18 and has six shows before Christmas Day. See rwb.org for tickets.

 

Check out the Dalnavert

The Dalnavert Museum has been elegantly adorned for Christmas, and you can check out the Victorian-Era mansion in its glittering best this month. Their Victorian Christmas Tours — where you’ll learn about Christmas celebrations of yesteryear and take in live music in the parlour — continue Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Also happening in the venerable Carlton Street locale on the three days leading up to Christmas are nightly readings of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with CKUW radio personality Ron Robinson. Tickets to both events are available on friendsofdalnavert.ca.

 

Eye some summer skies

The only place you’re going to see summer skies this time of year — warm near-endless nights feel a million years away, not six months, don’t they? — is at the Manitoba Museum Planetarium.

The Manitoba Skies show highlights all the constellations, planets, and celestial events that you can see on lengthy summer evenings in Manitoba, the Planetarium says. Just like summer bodies are made in the winter, apparently so can summertime space knowledge.

Manitoba Skies shows today, Dec. 18, and Dec. 19 at 4 p.m. Snag tickets at tickets.manitobamuseum.ca.

declan.schroeder@winnipegfreepress.com