The Richmond Museum is preparing to welcome visitors in-person for the 15th annual Doors Open Richmond (DOR).
Returning this spring from June 2 to 5, 2022; a selection of virtual content is available from June 2 followed by free, in-person and online events taking place June 4-5. This year’s edition of Doors Open Richmond features 35 sites representing the city’s cultural diversity and rich heritage, including 21 that will welcome visitors in-person. There are also five new sites that are participating in DOR for the first time.
Richmond Jamia Mosque (Sunni Muslim Congregation). Photo courtesy of the Mosque
“Richmond is one of the most diverse cities in Canada, with more than 60 per cent of residents born outside of the country,” says Jaeden Dela Torre, vice-chair of the Richmond Museum Society. “Doors Open Richmond is a chance to celebrate this diversity and a way to bring together the many communities that comprise the city. The event offers the public an inclusive platform to become more familiar with our local businesses, organizations, museums, places of worship, and more. Doors Open Richmond celebrates the very essence that makes this city a welcoming place to live.”
The in-person program offers visitors a wide range of activities. Saint Germain Bakery, one of this year’s new locations, will offer tours of their central facility where cakes and pastries are produced, wrapping up with a tasting to sample the wares. Richmond Media Lab will show how to bring drawings and figurines to life using the magic of stop-motion technology. Visitors to Fire Hall #1 can experience a day in the life of a firefighter with hands-on activities and demonstrations, at Richmond’s largest and busiest fire hall. The family-run Anar Persian Cuisine restaurant will offer an introduction to Persian food, customs, and traditions. A special shuttle tour will be available on June 4 taking visitors to various places of worship along No. 5 Road, also known as the “Highway to Heaven.” The tour will stop at the Az-Zahraa Islamic Centre, Lingyen Mountain Temple, and the Richmond Jamia Mosque.
Most in-person programs require advance registration, with a select number of sites offering drop-in activities. Visitors can plan their weekend in advance by visiting richmondmuseum.ca/doors-open for more information.
Highlights of the online programming include new videos that offer an inside look at the important work of Immigrant Services Society of BC and The Kehila Society, a partnership of Jewish communal organizations.
“We’ve been in operation since 1999, but this will be our first ever Doors Open Richmond,” says Lynne Fader, co-executive director of The Kehila Society. “We can’t wait to connect with the broader public, and showcase the relationships we’ve built across the city with those in the Jewish community and beyond.”
The online component of Doors Open Richmond will be available from June 2 on the Richmond Museum’s website, richmondmuseum.ca/doors-open.