Thursday, October 25, 2012

Winter Wonderland: Celebrations & Traditions Around the World


Fernbank Museum of Natural History celebrates the holiday season from November 16, 2012 through January 6, 2013, with Winter Wonderland: Celebrations & Traditions Around the World. The festive exhibition features trees, displays and other programming in collaboration with local cultural partners to reveal how people around the world celebrate holidays, events and traditions. This year, Winter Wonderland also features new programming, including holiday photo opportunities, a children’s art exhibition and kid-friendly train rides.
 
 
The Winter Wonderland exhibition features dozens of trees that twinkle with lights, glimmer with color, and shine with a variety of cultural ornaments that recognize the diversity of celebrations, holidays, traditions and events around the world. Cultural partners are able to decorate trees or display cases with images, symbols, decorations and colors that reflect celebratory customs. Fernbank will offer an activity guide to help visitors explore the decorations and significance of the trees during a family-friendly search.
 
 
Fernbank has added several new holiday features this year, including photo opportunities with the new Santa-saurusholiday mascot and Santa-saurus Express train rides on weekends and during the weeks surrounding Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Also new for 2012 is a special art exhibition created by local branches of the Boys& Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta to showcase celebrations and traditions that have special meanings to the children.
 
 
Festive programming also accompanies Fernbank’s Winter Wonderland with performances, dancing, music, demonstrations, storytelling and more on select days, including the Winter Wonderland Celebration Weekend on November 17-18, Caroling and Cookies Weekend on December 1-2, and a special concert with Laughing Pizza on December 8.
 
 
Cultural partners participating in Winter Wonderland: Celebrations & Traditions Around the World at Fernbank Museum include: Alif Institute and Arab American Women’s Society of Georgia, Alliance Francaise d’Atlanta, Consulate General of Argentina, Atlanta Rio de Janeiro Sister Cities Foundation, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, Consulate General of Canada, Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Chile, Danish American Chamber of Commerce, German Consulate General Atlanta, Consulate of Greece, Consulate General of the Republic of Honduras, Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Hungary, Consulate General of Japan, Honorary Consulate General the Republic of Liberia, General Consulate of Mexico and Instituto de Mexico, Honorary Consulate General of the Republic of Philippines, Puerto Rico Tourism Company, La Societa Italiana, Sons of Norway Vennekretsen Atlanta, Honorary Consulate of Sweden, Consulate General of Switzerland, Honorary Consul General of Turkey, Bahamas Consulate General, Consulate General of Haiti, Consulate General of Ireland, Honorary Consulate of Georgia, Kenyans in Atlanta and several others.
 
 
Admission to Winter Wonderland: Celebrations & Traditions Around the World is included with Museum admission. Additional activities, including the Santa-saurus Express Trainand Santa-saurus photo opportunities are offered for a small fee. Museum admission is $17.50 for adults, $16.50 for students and seniors, $15.50 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for Museum members and children ages two and younger. Tickets can be purchased online at Fernbank or by phone at 404.929.6400.

 
Fernbank Museum of Natural History is located at 767 Clifton Road, NE in Atlanta. The museum is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday from Noon – 5 p.m. For visitor information, including dates and times for the Santa-saurus Express and holiday photos, call 404.929.6300 or visit fernbankmuseum.org/winter.

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