The Brown Bag Lecture Series is held every Tuesday at lunchtime (noon to 1 pm) from September to April. Each week a guest lecturer speaks about a subject in their area of expertise. Topics include local history, travel, culture, and natural history. Admission is by suggested donation of $2 per adult and $1 for children.
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Interested in sharing your passion or experiences in a Brown Bag Lecture? Contact us to find out how: 250-490-2454 or email.
Upcoming Events
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Surprised and shocked to learn how AIDS affects grandmothers in African countries, Cheryl Halsted chose to volunteer for the South Okanagan chapter of Grandmothers for Africa. Being a grandmother of three, she empathized with African grandmothers struggling to care for their grandchildren, whose parents had died of AIDS. Seven years later, Cheryl was chosen to be one of 20 Canadians to visit South Africa and Eswatini with the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign. Cheryl will share her experiences and learning from visiting Africa, and being a part of the Grandmothers for Africa organization.
The Brown Bag Lecture Series is an opportunity to spice up your lunch hour with interesting presentations and discussions on a variety of heritage and culture topics.
Museum Auditorium (785 Main St). Admission is by donation. Suggested donation is $2 for adults, $1 for children. For more information contact: 250-490-2451 or museum@penticton.ca
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The presentation will discuss the evolution of the Okanagan fruit industry with both transportation and communication. The fruit industry need reliable fast transportation to get product to market. The telegraph brought the ability to commercially take advantage of the rapidly changing transportation of the valley.
Retirement is a funny word, with so many things to do and experience, to Tim Taylor it means busy. After a career in the aircraft industry, the oil and gas sector, environmental consulting and latterly academia, retirement has allowed Tim the great opportunity to do things he never had time to enjoy when working (for money).
The Brown Bag Lecture Series is an opportunity to spice up your lunch hour with interesting presentations and discussions on a variety of heritage and culture topics.
Museum Auditorium (785 Main St). Admission is by donation. Suggested donation is $2 for adults, $1 for children. For more information contact: 250-490-2451 or museum@penticton.ca
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The Princess Margaret Senior Secondary School English First Peoples 12 class interviewed Penticton seniors using a style inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York blog. This project was part of the creative writing unit and supported the course’s intergenerational learning component.
English First Peoples is an academic equivalent of English 12, designed around the First Peoples Principles of Learning. One key principle is intergenerational learning. Students in this class already have kindergarten buddies, so this project offered an opportunity to connect with the opposite end of the age spectrum. Teacher, Erica Fitton has taught this course for the past 10 years, and it remains popular at Princess Margaret Secondary for its emphasis on experiential learning and weekly field trips.
The Brown Bag Lecture Series is an opportunity to spice up your lunch hour with interesting presentations and discussions on a variety of heritage and culture topics.
Museum Auditorium (785 Main St). Admission is by donation. Suggested donation is $2 for adults, $1 for children. For more information contact: 250-490-2451 or museum@penticton.ca
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The Western Burrowing Owl is a species at risk in Canada and was extirpated from British Columbia in the 1980s. In an attempt to reestablish a population in BC a group of volunteers instituted a re-introduction program. The volunteers established the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society of British Columbia (BOCSBC), which now involves three captive breeding facilities (the largest being at the BC Wildlife Park in Kamloops), creation of artificial nesting burrows, and the release and monitoring of captive raised birds annually since 1990. Lauren Mead, executive manager of the BOCSBC will provide updates on efforts to repopulate burrowing owls throughout North America.
The Brown Bag Lecture Series is an opportunity to spice up your lunch hour with interesting presentations and discussions on a variety of heritage and culture topics.
Museum Auditorium (785 Main St). Admission is by donation. Suggested donation is $2 for adults, $1 for children. For more information contact: 250-490-2451 or museum@penticton.ca
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Dan Lybarger was motivated to make a cigar box guitar after watching others. From his first guitar onwards, he was hooked. “It was so exciting because I never knew what it was going to sound like until it was finished,” said Lybarger. He’s even made a cake pan mandolin that still had burnt cake on it! During this presentation, Dan will share his passion and process of taking something found at a flea market or yard sale and turning it into a musical instrument.
Dan Lybarger has worn many hats in his life – award-winning photographer, painter, musician, tradesman – to name a few. All of which have helped him build instruments from found objects.
The Brown Bag Lecture Series is an opportunity to spice up your lunch hour with interesting presentations and discussions on a variety of heritage and culture topics.
Museum Auditorium (785 Main St). Admission is by donation. Suggested donation is $2 for adults, $1 for children. For more information contact: 250-490-2451 or museum@penticton.ca
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This year, BC Heritage Week takes place from February 16 to 22, 2026 with the theme of Stir the Pot. In this presentation, Chandra Wong, museum educator will share some of her memories and connections with her family food traditions, and encourage the audience to share their experiences of food as a vessel of memory, identity, and meaning. There might even be some food made...
The Brown Bag Lecture Series is an opportunity to spice up your lunch hour with interesting presentations and discussions on a variety of heritage and culture topics.
Museum Auditorium (785 Main St). Admission is by donation. Suggested donation is $2 for adults, $1 for children. For more information contact: 250-490-2451 or museum@penticton.ca
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Where did wine come from? How was it made and stored before the invention of glass bottles? What did it taste like? In this presentation, we will explore some of the archaeological discoveries that have shaped our understanding of wine making in the ancient Near East.
Matteo Carboni is a PhD Candidate at University of St. Michael's College. His research explores wine making and drinking practices in the Ancient Near East.
The Brown Bag Lecture Series is an opportunity to spice up your lunch hour with interesting presentations and discussions on a variety of heritage and culture topics.
Museum Auditorium (785 Main St). Admission is by donation. Suggested donation is $2 for adults, $1 for children. For more information contact: 250-490-2451 or museum@penticton.ca
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John Cowan worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway as a train conductor for 35 years, which included a stint working out of Penticton in 1984. John will share his unique knowledge and experiences of the latter years of the CP/KVR years of operations in the 1980s prior to the last train departing Penticton in May 1989. He will also share a brief history of what began the demise of the KVR in 1959 with the elimination of the line through the Coquihalla from Hope to Brodie (near Brookmere), and the end of passenger service in 1964.
The Brown Bag Lecture Series is an opportunity to spice up your lunch hour with interesting presentations and discussions on a variety of heritage and culture topics.
Museum Auditorium (785 Main St). Admission is by donation. Suggested donation is $2 for adults, $1 for children. For more information contact: 250-490-2451 or museum@penticton.ca
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Every four minutes, someone in Canada begins to lose their sight. The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) is there for them and their family and caregivers. Whether experiencing cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, other vision restrictions or even total blindness, we offer programs and services to support a more meaningful and functional life.
CNIB is a non-profit organization driven to change what it means to be blind today. We deliver innovative programs and powerful advocacy that empower people to live their dreams and tear down barriers to inclusion. Our work is powered by a network of volunteers, donors and partners from coast to coast, serving more than 3 million members.
There’s always something going on at CNIB! Whether it’s children and youth groups, seniors groups, employment workshops, recreational activities, peer support groups or technology training sessions, our innovative programs are designed to educate, engage and support our participants across all areas of their lives.
Come hear what is available for people who are blind and partially sighted. Join us.
The Brown Bag Lecture Series is an opportunity to spice up your lunch hour with interesting presentations and discussions on a variety of heritage and culture topics.
Museum Auditorium (785 Main St). Admission is by donation. Suggested donation is $2 for adults, $1 for children. For more information contact: 250-490-2451 or museum@penticton.ca
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Did you know that the sq̓awsitkw (Okanagan River) system was once rich with Sockeye, Chinook, Coho, Steelhead and other salmonid species? Through 20+ years of planning, advocacy and hard work, the Okanagan Nation Alliance continues to put the river back, put the fish back and put the people back. Join us as we discuss the latest milestone, Okanagan Lake Dam Salmon Passage Project, achieving year-round, free passage for all salmon to their historical waters of kłusxnitkw (Okanagan Lake).
Zoe Eyjolfson has worked for Okanagan Nation Alliance for the last 15 years as a Fluvial Geomorphologist. She primarily works on river restoration and fish passage projects and is honored to work with the ONA and the Syilx Nation to put the river and fish back to the Okanagan Basin.
The Brown Bag Lecture Series is an opportunity to spice up your lunch hour with interesting presentations and discussions on a variety of heritage and culture topics.
Museum Auditorium (785 Main St). Admission is by donation. Suggested donation is $2 for adults, $1 for children. For more information contact: 250-490-2451 or museum@penticton.ca
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Brakeman Jack will share his songs, stores and verse to bring an original and whimsical slant on our heritage. New additions to his repertoire include songs about the Adra Tunnel, and naming Naramata. An hour of history with humour that is an audience favourite.
For 25 years Jack led The Kettle Valley Brakemen in entertaining audiences from the coast to the Kootenays. These days Jack has a solo show and he’s broadened his creative efforts to include poetry as well as song. Jack resides in Idyllic Naramata.
The Brown Bag Lecture Series is an opportunity to spice up your lunch hour with interesting presentations and discussions on a variety of heritage and culture topics.
Museum Auditorium (785 Main St). Admission is by donation. Suggested donation is $2 for adults, $1 for children. For more information contact: 250-490-2451 or museum@penticton.ca
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Although Penticton lies between two lakes, which gives the impression of water abundance, residents and the natural ecosystem are impacted by lack of snowpack, clearcutting, development, agriculture, and human activity. Underground aquifers are drawn down, greatly affecting those who rely on wells such as the Penticton Indian Band residents. Especially affected are the salmon that come from the oceans to Okanagan Valley tributaries to spawn. Joine local water protectors to learn about how we can preserve this precious resource
Judy Wyper lives in Peachland and has been a longtime member of the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance. She is an avid reader of water reports. Avril Torrence, co-chair of South Okanagan Council of Canadians, has been working on protecting access to public water for decades. Lori Goldman is on the board of First Things First Okanagan as well as part of Seniors for Climate BC Hub and South Okanagan Council of Canadians. She's worked for years on climate solutions in Penticton, Okanagan Valley, BC and Canada.
The Brown Bag Lecture Series is an opportunity to spice up your lunch hour with interesting presentations and discussions on a variety of heritage and culture topics.
Museum Auditorium (785 Main St). Admission is by donation. Suggested donation is $2 for adults, $1 for children. For more information contact: 250-490-2451 or museum@penticton.ca