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Victoria Events
Victoria events and festivals draw visitors from all over Canada and the US. We have events you will not want to miss including the hilarious family fun of the Victoria International Buskers Festival.
Other popular festivals include the Victoria International Cycling Festival with the amazing Jumpship competition, where the world's best freeride mountain bike riders compete on a floating barge before a crowd of over sixty thousand spectators.
We also have a variety of music and food festivals to tempt your ears and your tastebuds. View our Calendar of Events below or click on our festival page to see all the options year round in Victoria.
Special Events
115th Island Farms Victoria Day Parade
Celebrate Victoria Day in B.C.'s capital with the 115th consecutive Island Farms Victoria Day Parade. This is Victoria's largest parade event; complete with marching bands, floats, clowns & more. If you wish to watch the whole parade it will take at least 3 hours to pass by, so come prepared - bring a blanke... more
150th Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival
Recurrence Recurring daily
Type: Special Events
Time: See website for schedule
Location: Various Locations
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The Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival has grown to a nine day celebration of Scottish music, culture and arts. May 11 - Tartan Parade (downtown Victoria) May 12 - Kilted Golf Tournament May 15 - Tilted Kilt Pub Crawl May 16 - Concert featuring Spirit of the West May 17 - ... more
17th Annual Historic Military Encampment
Recurrence Recurring daily
Venue: Fort Rodd Hill & Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites of Canada
Type: Special Events
Time: From: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
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Stroll through the fort amidst marquee and bell tents representing various periods from the 1850s to the 1950s. Admire equipment, uniforms and motor vehicles from Canada’s military past. You’ll be fascinated by the authenticity of the re-enactors, as they chat to you about life generations ago. more
19th Annual Greater Victoria Bike to Work Week
Gear up for cycling to work May 27-June 2 during the 19th annual Greater Victoria Bike to Work Week. Prizes, Celebration Stations and more. Create a team with your workplace and participate in this Fun, Free, community event. Please visit the website for more information or contact Theresa: theresa@biketowork.ca ... more
2013 Canadian National Climbing Championships
Recurrence Recurring daily
Venue: Boulders Climbing Gym
Type: Special Events
Location: Boulders Climbing Gym
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The Canadian championships will feature the best youth climbers in the country, as well as a number from the United States, competing in a range of age categories in two disciplines: speed climbing and difficulty climbing. "If you've never been to see a climbing competition, then you owe it to yourse... more
38th Annual Luxton Pro Rodeo
Recurrence Recurring daily
Type: Special Events
Location: Corner of Sooke & Luxton Roads
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Rodeo events start at 2pm daily (tickets available at the gate). Free gate admission to: * antique farm equipment * carnival rides * blacksmith demos * heritage displays * vendors Midway open: * Friday (3:00pm - closing), all day wristbands = $27.00 * Saturday (1:00pm - closing), all day wristbands ... more
5th Annual Cowichan Bay Spot Prawn Festival
This is a non ticketed event hosted throughout the community. Parking sites and shuttles have been arranged for the whole day. Get the family together and come on down for a fun filled day of music, face painting, chef's demos....and of course SPOT PRAWNS! more
AFRICA FEST 2013
Recurrence Recurring daily
Type: Special Events
Time: afternoons and evenings
Location: Victoria Event Center / Centennial Square
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VICTORIA'S FIRST AFRICA FEST 2013 Come celebrate Victoria’s First African and Caribbean Cultural Week from May 17 to May 25 2013. There will be African dances, drumming workshops, exquisite and exotic food and beverages, cultural artwork, crafts, clothing, movies. education, fashion. Performers include Jord... more
African & Caribbean Spirit Night
Type: Special Events
Time: 6:30 PM to 1:00 AM
Location: Victoria Event Center
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A Journey Through Taste of Africa & Antilles Voyage a travers les Saveurs d'Afrique et des Antilles Free African & Caribbean Appetizers **PLEASE CHECK FACEBOOK PAGE AS DATES ARE TENTATIVE** more
Armchair Travel: Central Europe
Type: Special Events
Time: From: 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM
Location: Juan de Fuca Branch, Greater Victoria Public Library
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Thinking about a trip to Central Europe? Join us for a slide show and talk that will explore some of the oldest and best preserved cities on the continent. From Prague to Bratislava, Budapest to Vienna, Central Europe has something to offer every traveler! Register online at gvpl.ca or call your local branch for more inf... more
Art Gallery Drop-In Tour: Emily Carr: On the Edge of Nowhere
Venue: Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Type: Special Events
Time: From: 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
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With this exhibition, the AGGV is now the premiere destination on Vancouver Island to visit and learn about Emily Carr through her paintings. On the Edge of Nowhere will include an historical survey of Carr’s artistic career, featuring pieces in all the media and styles she explored and perfected. It will also focu... more
Art Gallery Drop-In Tour: Koshashin
Venue: Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Type: Special Events
Time: From: 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
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The exhibition presents a rare opportunity to view one of the world’s largest collections of early Japanese photography. There are more than 230 works in this exhibition from the personal collection of Edmontonian Arlene Hall. Its debut was at the Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA), which organized the exhibition in 2009... more
Art Gallery Drop-In Tour: Landscape Prints of Kawase Hasui
Venue: Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Type: Special Events
Time: From: 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
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Kawase Hasui is considered one of the most important Japanese landscape artists of the 20th century. Hasui could evoke Japan of the pre-war period as none other. Hasui's work enjoyed huge popularity, at home and abroad, from his very first print in 1918. His publisher, Watanabe Shozaburo, quickly recognized his enormous ... more
Art Gallery Drop-In Tour: Landscape Prints of Kawase Hasui
Venue: Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Type: Special Events
Time: From: 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
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Join in this tour with Curator of Asian Arts, Barry Till. Tours are a great way to learn about art history, put our exhibitions into context, and delve deeper into the themes being presented. Included with Gallery admission or free with membership. more
Artist Demo: Japanese Painter and Calligrapher, Yuiko Hammer
Type: Special Events
Time: From: 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Location: Central Branch, Greater Victoria Public Library
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May is Asian Heritage Month. Drop by the Central Branch rotunda and watch Yuiko demonstrate green bamboo painting and Japanese calligraphy. You can even have your name painted in Japanese characters! Yuiko is a local artist who has been living, working, and creating in Victoria since 1981. No registration required. Every... more
Artists' Reception: To Reunite To Honour To Witness
Venue: Legacy Art Gallery
Type: Special Events
Time: From: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
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In addition to the opening of the new downtown exhibit on May 8 at UVic's Legacy Art Gallery, this Saturday afternoon event at the gallery will honour survivors who attended the Alberni Indian Residential School in the 1950s and 60s. This public reception celebrates the reunification of the makers with their artwork, whi... more
Author Reading - Jeremy Hespeler-Boultbee
Type: Special Events
Time: From: 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Location: Oak Bay Branch, Greater Victoria Public Library
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"History has been written in large part by soldiers, who generally don’t care to remember the principal legacy of war which is bitterness and hatred" says author Jeremy Hespeler-Boultbee. For a different perspective, join us as he reads from "Mrs. Queen’s Chump: Idi Amin, the Mau Mau, Communist... more
BC Bites & Beverages: Uncorked: The Teenage Years of the BC Wine Industry
Venue: Royal BC Museum
Type: Special Events
Time: From: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Location: Clifford Carl Hall
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Drawing on our extensive British Columbia wine label collection, join Dr Hammond for a sparkling toast to forgotten classics and the popular wines of the 1960s and 1970s. Enjoy sampling contemporary award-winning local wines paired with delicious BC cheese at this informative and often times irreverent evening. more
Classical Indian and Jazz fusion Concert
Type: Special Events
Time: 7pm
Location: David Lam Auditorium, UVic
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The leading American voice in Indian jazz fusion, saxophonist and composer, George Brooks, Indian bamboo flute master Pt. Ronu Majumdar, a major innovator of Indo-jazz fusion, and tabla maestro Ramdas Palsule come together to create the finest Indian-inspired jazz and jazz flavored raga. These world music visionaries ble... more
Dream Big Gala ~ Supporting the Help Fill a Dream Foundation
Venue: Hotel Grand Pacific
Type: Special Events
Time: 6:00pm - Midnight
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Black Label Events is proud to present the 1st Annual Dream Big Gala supporting the Help Fill a Dream Foundation. Enjoy a formal night out with a fabulous three-course dinner, dance, and silent auction to support this local Vancouver Island charity. We are excited to announce that The Temps will be providing the live ... more
Family Guided Kayak Tour in Brentwood Bay
Type: Special Events
Time: From: 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Location: Pacifica Paddle Sports at Port Side Marina
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Enjoy a guided tour to Tod Inlet in beautiful Brentwood Bay. Your guide will stop for lunch on the beach. A great time to explore the secluded marine park where seals, eagles, starfish and other creatures live. After the paddle you will make delicious smoothies before walking the shoreline to hang out at the water's edge... more
Fired Up! Contemporary Works in Clay Exhibit
Recurrence Recurring daily
Type: Special Events
Time: Opening reception, May 24th, 6-8PM, Saturday, May 25 & Sunday, May 26th, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Location: Metchosin Hall
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The artists of Fired UP! Contemporary Works in Clay invite you to their “Salt of the Earth -Vessels for Tasteful Living” exhibit at the 29th annual ceramics show, May 24-26th, 2013. Nine core Fired UP! members as well as five guest artists will fill the Metchosin Hall with a range of signature pieces ... more
Free 2nd Annual Off-the-Grid Music Festival
Venue: Fort Rodd Hill & Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites of Canada
Type: Special Events
Time: From: 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
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Guitars, drums, keyboards... Spotlights, microphones, amplifiers… Where is the power outlet? On Friday May 24 from 4pm to 7pm, the main field of Fort Rodd Hill National Historic site will be the central stage for the 2013 Off-the-grid Music festival. The soundstage for this mega FREE concert, welcoming asp... more
Galiano Ensemble Performs a Celebration of English Music
Type: Special Events
Time: From: 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Location: Phillip T. Young Recital Hall -- UVic
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In their final performance of the 2012-13 season, the Galiano Ensemble of Victoria is offering an evening to recognize the works of several English composers. The program includes Gustav Holst’s St. Paul Suite, Gerald Finzi’s Romance, Opus 11, John Ireland’s Concertino Pastorale, Ralph Vaughan William... more
