Secret Salon Series


We are delighted to announce our Secret Salon Series, offering immersive cultural experiences that merge art, education, science, music, and nature in unexpected ways. Events are held at Secret Headquarters, our beautiful studio in East Vancouver, home to hundreds of enchanting lanterns as seen at our Annual Winter Solstice Festival.

Morris! A celebration of English folk traditions!

tuesday, june 25th

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM PST

 In this hands-on gathering we will learn about the Ukrainian midsummer celebration Ivana Kupala. Musician and storyteller Beverly Dobrinsky will explain the historical merging of pagan summer solstice traditions and the Christian Feast Day of St. John the Baptist, outlining cultural aspects such as the clothing, food, songs, stories and rituals that mark the magical time of transition between summer solstice and harvest time. She’ll help us prepare for the Summer Solstice by teaching us how to make head wreaths (vinoks) from local greenery (zeellia), as young women in Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe have done for thousands of years. We’ll also learn a solstice song and explore myths such as the elusive flowering fern, a plant so secretive that it only reveals itself at midnight on midsummer’s eve.

🌿experience a seasonal ceremony
🌿learn a traditional song
🌿make a head wreath from wild flowers
🌿try a traditional food 

A portion of ticket sales will be donated to Canada-Ukraine Foundation to support their educational initiatives. 

Event Notes / Be Prepared:

  • Tickets are available by sliding scale: $30-$50. Suggested admission: $35. 

  • Doors open at 6:30 PM and the event will start promptly at 7:00 PM. Please do your best to be on time as late arrivals will be disruptive to activities in progress.

  • This event is for participants ages 12+. Space is limited to 20 participants so please register early.

  • We will provide some local greenery for the wreath-making but please bring any additional foliage from abandoned sites or your gardens to personalize your wreath and make it extra special.

  • Beverly will bring a homemade traditional food, either varenyky, poppyseed cake or piroshky, and herbal tea. If you are so moved, please bring some fruit to share. 

  •  Wear something you find beautiful and comfortable. If you have a vyshyvanky—embroidered shirt, dress or scarf, feel free to wear. But be aware that we will be actively making vinoks, eating and drinking.

  • Your donation contributes directly to supporting our programming to continue ongoing learning and cultural sharing. We thank you for your support. If you have financial barriers preventing you from purchasing a ticket, please email admin@secretlantern.org and we will do our best to accommodate.

Facilitator Bio

The Vancouver Morris Men were formed in 1982 (and incorporated as a non-profit society in1989) to maintain English folk traditions, specifically the Morris, locally. We perform traditional dances from the South Midlands (Cotswold Morris), the Welsh Borders, East Anglia (Molly) and Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire (Horn Dance). We have performed throughout the Lower Mainland, the Okanagan, Gulf Islands, the USA, and England.

Graham Baldwin is the founder of the VMM and has performed the Morris since 1976. He introduced and taught most of the performance styles in our repertoire.

Steve Cleary joined the VMM in 1983 and has performed the Morris since 1969. He has been an instructor and director for most of the VMM’s history, and leads many of our seasonal folk songs.

Steve Crowley joined the VMM in 2000. His keen interest in folk ritual has resulted in his leadership of the VMM’s horn dance and mumming plays.

Getting Here: Secret Headquarters is located at 1398 East 3rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC. Bus # 22 is within walking distance; VCC Clark and Commercial Skytrain Stations are within 10 minutes' walk. Free parking on the street and in the large parking lot in the alley between 3rd and 4th.

Accessibility: Secret Headquarters is wheelchair and walker accessible. If you have specific accessibility needs, please get in touch with us at (778) 323-9489 or admin@secretlantern.org.

Omi, our lovely resident feline, loves to attend our gatherings. Please let us know if you have allergies and we will gently explain to him why he needs to stay home that night.