Place des Arts, Mackin House Museum and Gare de Fraser Mills Station Museum will team up to host a multicultural celebration of light this Saturday (Dec. 1). A Lantern Affair runs from 4: 30 to 7: 30 p.m., and includes events spread across the host sites.

Place des Arts will be the venue for fun

and creative arts and crafts, including Central-American-inspired paper-plate poinsettias, Scandinavian-themed craft stick reindeer, and the ever-popular cookie decorating. Place des Arts' pottery students will also host a show and sale of their ceramic works.

Over at Mackin House, the heritage kitchen will be serving up old-time baking and gingerbread decorating activities. Staff will also be serving hot apple cider and offering museum tours and storytelling. Father Christmas will drop by and read from The Night Before Christmas at the Station Museum.

Those in attendance will be invited to create their own lantern, choosing from designs particular to different cultures: a Mexican paper-bag farolito (known as a luminaria) to light the path, a Chinese paper lantern, a Korean-inspired lantern or a pop-bottle lantern complete with Canadian hallmarks.

For a full listing of events, see www.placedesarts.ca.

ART DEMO TONIGHT

Marney-Rose Edge's penchant for floral patterns will be the focus of tonight's (Wednesday's) Art Focus Artists' Association demonstration in Port Coquitlam.

Slated to run from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Outlet in Leigh Square, the free demo will focus on the intricacies of capturing and conveying floral patterns in watercolour paintings.

Born in New Zealand, Edge moved to Metro Vancouver in 1992 and has enjoyed a career spanning more than 30 years.

"Light and colour are energetic components of my paintings that stimulate the senses," she said in an e-mail to The NOW. "The excitement comes when the layers of paint build strong contrasts and the viewer can feel the fragility of a flower with their eyes and sense the perfume around them when they take a deep breath."

CRAFT SALE FRIDAY

The 32nd-annual Coquitlam Christmas Craft Sale will be staged over a three-day span beginning this Friday (Nov. 30) at the Poirier Community Centre. More than 120 B.C. artisans will be in attendance, selling homemade goodies, as well as creations made of glass, ceramics, textiles and wood, and skincare and houseware items.

The sale runs from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children and seniors. See www.coquitlamcrafts.com for details.