Celebrate the Chinese New Year virtually with the Portland Chinatown Museum on February 20

Chinese dragon by artyangel, courtesy Pixabay Celebrate the Year of the Ox with the Portland Chinatown Museum on Saturday, February 21, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Pacific time. This virtual celebration is a rountable community event featuring highlights from past Chinese New Year parades in Chinatown in Portland, Oregon. Community members will share about … Continue reading Celebrate the Chinese New Year virtually with the Portland Chinatown Museum on February 20

Learn bachata dance at home in time for Valentine’s Day

For couples, celebrating Valentine's Day is more challenging this year because of restrictions from the COVID pandemic. Here's an idea that's fun, allows you to learning something new, and can be done at home. The Eugene Ballet is hosting a Bachata dance class on Saturday, February 13, 6-6:45 p.m. Pacific time. Florabelle Moses teaches this … Continue reading Learn bachata dance at home in time for Valentine’s Day

San Antonio Zoo’s Cry Me a Cockroach a remedy for broken hearts on Valentine’s Day

Looking for some solace on Valentine's Day this year? The San Antonio Zoo has an answer at its second annual Cry Me a Cockroach fundraiser: Symbolically name a cockroach or frozen rodent after your ex, and a zookeeper will feed it to the animals during a streamed feeding frenzy on Sunday, February 14. The price … Continue reading San Antonio Zoo’s Cry Me a Cockroach a remedy for broken hearts on Valentine’s Day

Stream the Commonwealth Ballet’s “The Nutcracker en Masque” for free through January 31

Image by Goran Horvat from Pixabay One of my traditions during the holidays is to catch a performance of the Commonwealth Ballet's version of The Nutcracker during my trips to New England. With large gatherings restricted this year due to COVID-19, the Commonwealth Ballet could not hold live performances this year, so they created a … Continue reading Stream the Commonwealth Ballet’s “The Nutcracker en Masque” for free through January 31

Festival of Lights at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Holliston, Massachusetts

The giant globe at the Festival of Lights at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Holliston, Massachusetts Editor's note: The Festival of Lights at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine was cancelled in 2020 due to safety concerns from COVID-19. While it's uncertain yet whether the festival can return this year, I'm posting photos from a … Continue reading Festival of Lights at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Holliston, Massachusetts

Christmas at the Gillette Castle

Decorations on one of the Christmas trees inside Gillette Castle in East Haddam, Connecticut Photos by Cheryl Landes In November and December, volunteers decorate the Gillette Castle inside and out for the holidays. The 24-room mansion overlooking the Connecticut River Valley resembles a medieval-style castle. It's the former home of William Gillette (1853-1937), an actor … Continue reading Christmas at the Gillette Castle

See the largest collection of Nativity scenes in New England

Angels made from folder paper at the International Crèche Museum in Attleboro, Massachusetts Photos by Cheryl Landes I'd never heard of any museum that extensively collected Nativity scenes until I discovered the International Crèche Museum in Attleboro, Massachusetts. I found it during a trip to the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette to … Continue reading See the largest collection of Nativity scenes in New England

La Salette Christmas Celebration of Lights tells a powerful story

The National Shrine of Our Lady of LaSalette decorated for the holidays in Attleboro, Massachusetts Photos by Cheryl Landes For more than 65 years, the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro, Massachusetts, has delighted visitors with its Christmas Celebration of Lights. Displays with more than 400,000 lights are spread across 10 … Continue reading La Salette Christmas Celebration of Lights tells a powerful story