Summerland Museum & Archives Society

09/03/2026

Join us for a thought-provoking speaker series titled "Water, Food, Environment and the Balancing Act" in partnership with the Summerland Library on Saturday, September 12 from 1pm to 3pm.

Sessions include:
Restoring Balance in Canada's Food System by local grower Katie Sardinha
Irrigation & Adaptation on Farm in a Changing Climate presented by local farmers
Okanagan Food & Innovation Hub in Summerland Update by Thomas Tumbach of LocalMotive
Seed to Feed Program by Manager Lane Bossence

Thank you to our sponsors: LocalMotive Farmers Network Cooperative, Summerland Varieties, TerraLink, and Okanagan Regional Library.

Bonus - from 10am to 1pm, come browse through a self-guided display on Summerland's Water System provided by the Summerland Museum & Archives Society from 10am to 3pm!

See you there!

09/02/2026

We can't wait to celebrate our town at this year's Summerland Fall Fair, and look forward to welcoming the whole community to the Museum lawn on 12th September ❤️

After careful deliberation, the Summerland Fall Fair Society Board of Directors has decided to go ahead with the fair on Saturday, September 12. With the District's mass evacuation alert being rescinded and forecasts for better air quality, we feel that we can go ahead with this beloved community event.

We recognize that there are many still struggling with the affects of the wildfire in our community, including people very close to the Summerland Fall Fair. Rebuilding and healing is going to take a long time. We hope that this year's fair will provide an opportunity to gather, uplift each other, and show support for our local growers and businesses who have been hit so hard this summer.

We are a resilient community and we are stronger together. Join us on Saturday, September 12 from 10am to 4:30pm at the Museum and Arts Centre Park for a day of family friendly fun that celebrates this wonderful community we call home. See you there ♥

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To find out more about the fair and how to participate, please visit www.summerlandfallfair.ca 🍎

09/02/2026

We look forward to standing together with our community at this Sunday's Mega Market.
Support Summerland ❤️

08/28/2026

Unfortunately, we have had to cancel tomorrow's planned kids' drop-in workshop due to ongoing staffing issues resulting from the Bald Range Fire. We hope to reschedule the 'Bugs Galore' insect activities soon.

08/25/2026

This morning, we quietly opened our doors again for the first time since being evacuated two and a half weeks ago.

We are still short staffed due to the wildfire clean-up and will be gradually returning to our regular hours.

Today (Tuesday, August 25) and tomorrow (Wednesday, August 26) we will be open from 10am to 2pm. On Thursday we will return to our normal hours, 10am to 4pm.

We have a backlog of emails and research requests to catch up on, so please accept our apologies if we are slow to respond to messages.

We have received some inquiries about how we are going to document this event in our town's history. We have ideas, and will be waiting until an appropriate time to pursue them. When we do, we will make every effort to approach the task with sensitivity and respect for the dignity of those affected by the wildfire.

The evacuation alert has been lifted for a large portion of our town as of yesterday. However, a number of our neighbors have not been able to return to their properties yet. Some are faced with massive clean-up to make their homes liveable again. Many are starting over from scratch, having lost everything.

The recovery will be long, but we will be there for each other.

Welcome home, Summerland. We missed you ❤️

08/08/2026

Our hearts are with our community today.

Thank you to our firefighters and emergency workers working hard to contain the Bald Range wildfire and keep everyone safe. Thank you also to the many volunteers, businesses, and organizations donating time and supplies to help out the evacuees.

Needless to say, the Museum is closed and will remain closed until it is safe to return.

Please take care of yourselves and check in with your friends, family and neighbors. We have a caring and connected community - we will get through this together ❤️

08/05/2026

It's already August (how?!) and time for the first What-is-it-Wednesday of the month! Don't get all twisted out of shape figuring this one out - it's easy! Do you recognise today's mystery artifact or want to take a guess? If so, please leave your answer in the comments below, and we'll reveal the correct answer next Wednesday.

Well done to those of you who correctly identified last week's mystery artifact as a milk jug cover. This dainty little cover would be placed over a jug of cream or milk, with the beads acting as little weights to keep the cover taut and stop it from blowing away. The cover would protect the milk from dust and bugs during outdoor dining or high tea on the lawn.
Milk jug covers were most popular in the 19th and 20th centuries, but have recently seen a resurgence as 'starter covers' with the growing popularity of sourdough breadmaking.

08/05/2026

Looking for a fun kids' activity out of the smoke?

We are excited to host a Fibre-Arts Workshop tomorrow from 10am til 2pm (Thursday, 6th Aug) as part of our summer series of drop-in kids' activities.

Join us to learn all about where clothes come from and how they are made!
🪡 Find out how a sheep's fleece becomes a sweater!
🧵Discover where natural dyes come from and how you can make your own
🧶Explore traditional weaving techniques
🪢Try a drop spindle
🪡Weave your own bookmark to take home!

No registration required - just drop in between 10am and 2pm. Entry by donation.

08/04/2026

We have a new I-Spy Challenge for kids this month! Stop by the museum to look for our lost Kokeshi doll 🔍👀

What is a Kokeshi doll? These simple, wooden toys are a traditional craft from Japan dating back at least 150 years. They characteristically have a round head on a cylinder shaped body with no arms or legs. They are popular souvenirs and gifts - and in fact this one was given to the District of Summerland from delegates of our Sister City, Toyokoro!