Photo: Contributed

You can learn about the history of the place we call home during Heritage Week.

Our collective history is told in our languages and our music, in photographs, maps and documents, in regalia, objects and traditions passed down through generations.  

Residents are encouraged to visit museums, historic sites and cultural centres to learn more.

A week-long series of events kicked off this morning with a breakfast at the downtown Kelowna library and guest speaker Krystal Lezard of the Sncewips Heritage Museum. 

Upcoming events include:

• Central Okanagan Heritage Society heritage awards and luncheon, Benvoulin Church & Reid Hall, noon -2 p.m. Wednesday. Tickets $25. Call 250-861-7188 or email [email protected].
• Interactive children's activities at the Lake Country Museum and Archives. Drop-in between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday. By donation. 
• The Okanagan Heritage Museum launches a new exhibit – Needle And Thread: The Art Of Quilting. Centuries ago, women stitched scraps of fabric and discarded clothing together to keep their families warm at night. Today, quilters combine new textiles, tools and techniques to create quilts for decorative and practical purposes. Opening celebration 4-6 p.m. Thursday.
• Lecture by Blair Stewart, City of Kelowna, on Kelowna’s heritage trees and the 1992 Heritage Tree Register, 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Ellis Street library. 
• Mystery at the Museum! Okanagan Heritage Museum mystery tour, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday. Kids young and old can use their detective skills to discover and decode clues that will take you all over the museum. By donation.
• STEAM with The Men’s Shed. A variety of children’s activities and a "green screen" photo booth with costumes and historic backgrounds at the Ellis Street library, 1:30-4 p.m. Friday. By donation. 
• Celebrating Artists 2018. Exhibits, activities and entertainment hosted by the Sncewips Museum and Westbank First Nation. Westbank First Nation community gymnasium. Friday, 1-7 p.m. 
• History Mystery Bus Tour, 1-4 p.m. Saturday. Journey to historic places and unravel a mystery from our local history. Tickets $35. Call 250-868-4836 or email [email protected] for registration.
• Heritage Tea at the Eldorado Hotel, 2-4 p.m. Saturday. Tickets $29.95 adults; $26.95 seniors/children. Phone 250-763-7500 to reserve.