Photo by Atlas Media; courtesy of Meow Wolf Denver
Audio By Carbonatix
Every December, Meow Wolf hosts an immersive holiday experience with ACANA, an annual event inspired by the traditions of Eemia, one of Convergence Station‘s four alien worlds. The celebration, which is included with the purchase of a general admission ticket to the installation, invites visitors to learn about the Eemians, a community that values friendship and togetherness during the coldest and darkest months of the year.
“During this time, the Eemians swathe their homes in colorful keepsakes; they craft intricate patchwork quilts that are passed down from generation to generation,” says Maddie Costigan, Meow Wolf’s guest services manager.
“Each night during ACANA, they join together to light lanterns, illuminating their world during the darkest and coldest period of the year and creating a safe path for their loved ones to come home,” Costigan continues. “Now that part of Eemia has converged with the worlds of Numina, Ossuary and a part of the planet of Immensity called C Street, other Convergence residents have adopted the spirit of ACANA and its activities into their lives.”
The events, which happen on several dates through January 5, are designed by Meow Wolf staff and aim to engage guests in the story of Eemia through various interactive experiences. “Several departments have cross-utilized and collaborated to create new elements of our exhibit through visual elements and sound design,” Costigan says. “We even wrote a brand new ACANA melody that guests can unlock as a special achievement for solving the ACANA Decoding challenge.”
The ACANA events, which run until January 5, aim to engage guests in the festive story of Eemia through a variety of interactive activities.
Photo by Atlas Media; courtesy of Meow Wolf Denver
The Numina Luminaria, an installation where guests can create and light their own paper lanterns, is one of the event’s most enchanting elements. Visitors can leave their lanterns as part of the display or take them home as a keepsake, ensuring that a little of the ACANA magic lingers after their visit. Another crowd-pleaser is the Lost Mittens Search Party, a whimsical game that invites guests to recover winter mittens scattered throughout the exhibit after a mischievous washing machine on C Street sent them flying.
“While all earthers tend to enjoy this game, it is a huge hit with younger children and has a very accessible challenge level for all,” Costigan says. “Guests can find these lost mittens hidden throughout the exhibit, each of which has a tag attached to them that gives more direction. Guests can then return the now-found mittens and reunite them with their other half, aka their buddy, by taking the mitten to our ‘Mitten Recovery Program,’ hosted at the coat check desk. Guests receive a sweet treat reward for finding and reuniting the lost mittens.”
For those who enjoy puzzles, the ACANA Decoding Challenge provides a deeper dive into Eemian culture. Visitors pick up a worksheet and embark on a scavenger hunt across the exhibit, decoding messages hidden in banners that detail the traditions of Eemia. Each banner contains a key letter, and once all the letters are collected and translated into the Eemian language, guests unlock a special experience in the Eemian Cathedral.
If you’re seeking something a little more alternative, Meow Wolf Denver offers the HoliSLAY drag show from Friday, December 20, to Sunday, December 22. Written and produced by the Haus L’Whor, this over-the-top event features beats from DJ Blaque Gurl and performances by a wide cast of drag queens, including house leader Jessica L’Whor, Talia Tucker L’Whor and Foxxy L’Whor.
While the ACANA festivities bring warmth and joy to Meow Wolf Denver, they are unfolding against a somber backdrop of company-wide layoffs. Earlier this month, Meow Wolf announced that 75 roles were being eliminated, amounting to 8 percent of its workforce. Six positions were cut in Denver, leaving employees and the Meow Wolf Workers Collective (MWWC) deeply concerned.
The timing of these layoffs, just weeks before the holidays, drew criticism from both employees and fans. The MWWC urged leadership to accept greater responsibility for the financial decisions that led to this point, advocating a shift away from what they described as a contractor-focused model and toward a structure that better supports full-time employees.
This isn’t the first round of layoffs for the immersive art company, which also reduced its workforce back in April. Meow Wolf, once a scrappy Santa Fe art collective, has grown rapidly since opening its first major installation in 2016, but its expansion into major markets like Denver, Las Vegas, Grapevine and Houston has come with financial challenges.
In response to the recent layoffs, Meow Wolf released a statement describing the decision as part of a “strategic restructuring” to navigate shifting priorities and economic realities. Despite the layoffs, the ACANA festivities highlight the Meow Wolf team’s underappreciated creativity and resilience.
“Our team at Meow Wolf Denver has worked closely together to expand on this part of the story of Eemia,” Costigan says. From lantern lighting and scavenger hunts to decoding challenges and a festive Winter Ball, the event captures the joy of gathering for the holidays like only Meow Wolf can, even during difficult times for the company.
ACANA, through Sunday, January 5, Meow Wolf Denver, 1338 1st Street. Learn more about Meow Wolf’s ACANA programming at meowwolf.com/visit/denver.