The Manitoba Agricultural Museum will bring visitors old-fashioned holiday cheer during weekends in December
Tis the season for community tree lighting ceremonies, winter festivals and Santa Claus parades.
The Manitoba Agricultural Museum near Austin is likewise in the holiday spirit. The facility in central Manitoba is getting ready to welcome visitors for two weekends of night-time programming.
Winter Wonderland evenings will run Dec. 6-8 and Dec. 13-15 from 5-8 p.m. Visitors will be able to take in horse-drawn sleigh rides, bonfires, snacks and children’s activities.
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The museum’s pioneer village will be dressed up for the occasion. Holiday decorations will light up buildings including historic businesses, the facility’s Mekiwin Manor house and the Centreville School, a one-room schoolhouse dating back to 1890.
Visitors should park as directed by attendants and then gather at the Pioneer Centre to wait in line for sleigh rides. Reservations are not required, but anyone wanting to take in the event should plan to arrive in good time to avoid long waits.
Admission is $5 per person, with ages five and under free. That’s low for a fundraiser. Museum representatives have said the rate is set that way on purpose, to keep it affordable for as many people as possible.
Be sure to dress for the weather. The wait for the sleigh ride can get cold. While you wait, or after your ride, check inside the Pioneer Centre for more displays. When I visited, Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus were lounging inside between decorated Christmas trees.
In addition to the two weekends, special bookings will be available on the following weekend, Dec. 16-18. Anyone wanting to arrange access can call 204-637-2354.
Doors will also be open for another two nights Dec 28-29. The lights will be on for those evenings, but access will be for walk-throughs. No sleigh rides are on the schedule. The museum says those days have been added to accommodate those who may have missed seeing the displays before Christmas.
It sounds like a pleasant option for those who would like a more leisurely trip through the village than what is available on a drive-through or sleigh ride. Anyone wanting photos of the decorated buildings might want to opt for one of these times when they are not constrained by lack of ability to stop and take in the decorations.
For more information about the Manitoba Agricultural Museum or about the Christmas activities, email info@mbagmuseum.ca. The museum is three kilometres south of the junction of the TransCanada Highway and Provincial Highway 34.
