12 things to do in Victoria this March
Discover adventure in Canada’s mildest climate.
As spring breathes life into Greater Victoria, March invites you to experience a city where vibrant blooms meet the tranquil sea. Delight in unique adventures that blend tradition with modern flair, whether you’re savouring local flavours or embracing the serene yet lively community spirit. Let Victoria be your guide to an unforgettable getaway that captivates both heart and soul.
Celebrate Women's Day
Saturday, March 8th is International Women’s Day, and there’s no better place to celebrate than in the city fit for a Queen! Explore a wide range of women owned businesses, from saunas and cold plunging with RITUAL Nordic Spa to finding that perfect blend with Canada’s Queen of Tea at Silk Road Tea and raising a glass of award-winning and sustainable cider from Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, just to name a few. Then meet the locals, like scientist and environmental communicator, Sarika Cullis-Suzuki, acclaimed author, Tara Moss, and naturalist and author, Briony Penn, who share their unique insights into how to best experience the city.
Spring Break
March means Spring Break, and there’s no better place to spend your first family vacation of the year than Victoria as the city bursts into spring in full colour. Our unique micro-climate, the mildest in Canada, means you can make your spring break the perfect mix of indoor and outdoor adventure, bringing the family together and creating memories that last a lifetime. Soar through the cedars at Adrena LINE Zipline Adventure Tours, experience Victoria as a giant outdoor escape room with Cluesolvers, putt your way through 18 holes of terror at Haunted Manor Victoria, or watch the goat stampede at the Beacon Hill Children’s Farm. Victoria, BC, is jampacked with activities that are perfect for the kids and perfect to bring out the kid in you.
Greater Victoria Flower Count
Sorry, but not sorry, Canada, March is here and life in Victoria is bloomin’! With the mildest climate in the country, Spring has sprung a little earlier than elsewhere in the Great White North. There’s no better way to celebrate our head start on sunshine than by joining in on the fun with the annual Greater Victoria Flower Count, back for it’s 50th anniversary. Explore Victoria’s vibrant neighbourhoods, sprawling parks, and manicured gardens, and help count the blooms across Greater Victoria’s communities, one of which will be crowned Greater Victoria’s Bloomingest Community. Defending champions, Sidney, took home the title with over 17 billion (with a bee) blooms counted in their community alone; their second title in as many years. Do they have what it takes for the three-peat? Will Colwood return to the top for the first time since 2022? Or is it Victoria proper’s time to shine, after falling just shy of the title in 2024? Follow along at @VictoriaFlowerCount on Instagram and be sure to submit the blooms you count as you explore Greater Victoria at flowercount.com.
Party like it's 1925!
It’s time to celebrate our Stanley Cup winning… Victoria Cougars? That’s right, 100 years ago the city of Victoria hoisted the Stanley Cup after the defeating the legendary Montréal Canadiens three games to one, en route to becoming the first and last non-NHL team to win the hockey’s greatest prize. Join the centennial celebration March 29-30 in Oak Bay featuring minor hockey clinics with Victoria Cougars (VIJHL) & Vancouver Canucks alumni, an NHL Street Ball Hockey Tournament, hockey games, hotstoves, public skating, and of course, the Stanley Cup on display! Don’t wait another hundred years, celebrate Canada’s game and be a part of hockey history at the Century Celebration of the Victoria Cougars.
Fun fact: The Victoria Cougars would later move to Detroit, Michigan, eventually becoming the modern-day Detroit Red Wings.
St. Patrick's Day
Sip, sip, hooray! Paint the town, well, green, this St. Patrick’s Day in Victoria, Monday, March 17th. It’s time to shake your shamrocks at Victoria’s best pubs and bars. There’s no better place to celebrate thatn Victoria’s most iconic Irish pub, the Irish Times. This iconic pub on historic Government Street has been named the best Irish Pub in North America, serving up perfectly poured pints, authentic pub food, live music, and good times for over twenty years. Or take to the dancefloor at the Bard & Banker, where good vibes, great service, and a live band rock the night away. Situated in a heritage building, the Bard & Banker is steeped in a rich history, and packed with an energy, that will make you feel as though you’ve stepped into a Dublin pub for the night. It’s your lucky day, because no matter where you celebrate, St. Patrick’s Day in Victoria is always a paddy!
Workshops & learning
Level up this spring with hands-on workshops and learning opportunities across Greater Victoria. Kick the month off with a Fabric Printmaking Workshop at the Maritime Museum of BC on March 1st, where you will carve your own linocut stamp and create your own cotton tea towel, bonus points for a marine theme. Spring has sprung at Bilston Creek Farm! Join the folks at the farm for a sweet start to the season with their “Sugary Shrubs” Cookie Class on March 15th. In this two-hour workshop you’ll learn the basics of sugar cookies, practice your piping with Royal icing, learn cookie decorating strategy, and cover the concepts of dough and icing, while creating six garden-themed cookies. Everything is provided, you just need to bring your creativity. Feeling inspired from the works of Sarika Cullis-Suzuki and Breony Penn? It’s hard not be! Channel your inner naturalist at Invertebrate Week (March 18-21) at the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary and learn from guest speakers and educators on a series of fascinating invertebrate topics. For our aspiring artists, join the folks at Emily Carr House, March 21st & 22nd, for a pair of Emily Carr inspired art classes focused on connecting through art. In these sessions, you will draw inspiration from legendary Canadian artists, Emily Carr and work on creating beautiful Cherry Blossoms, just in time for the season.
Petals & pollinators
It’s spring in Victoria and from our plants to our pollinators everyone is celebrating the sunshine. March 12th marks National Plant a Flower Day, as the City of Gardens, Victoria is home to many parks, gardens, and greenspaces that will inspire you to get out your green thumb and rejuvenate your living space for the year ahead. And you’re in luck, you can bring a piece of Victoria’s verdant beauty home with you to cultivate your home garden into a place that brings you back somewhere special. Find everything from seeds to starters, and more, at local gardens such as The Butchart Gardens and The Gardens at HCP. But where would our plants be without the power of our pollinators? Celebrate the unsung heroes of your garden on National Learn about Butterflies Day on March 14th, at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens, and discover what our colourful, fluttery friends do for your garden and our environment.
Ring in spring at the farm
Forget spring cleaning, bring the season home with Bilston’s Home & Garden Market March 28-30, where you’ll find a barn full of vendors and makers who put the spotlight on bringing the springtime mood to your home and garden. Spring into the season this March at Bilston Creek Farm.
Oscar night: Which is your favourite Oscar-worthy Victoria filming location?
And the winner is… It’s Oscar night, March 2nd and if you’ve spent anytime in Greater Victoria, you’ve surely stumbled upon a film crew shooting anything from a Hallmark holiday favourite to a big budget blockbuster that’s sure to knock your socks off. Cinephiles can step foot into their favourite Hollywood moments such as discovering your superpowers at Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters (X-Men and Deadpool), cheating death like a scene from Final Destination, or laughing it up like Scary Movie or White Chicks. So, grab your camera, or your cellphone, and become the hero of your own movie at these Greater Victoria filming locations.
Barbie Day
Hiya, Barbie! Greater Victoria is pretty in pink and we’ve assembled a mini-itinerary to make your Barbie Day (March 9) more fun than a day at Barbie’s Dreamhouse. Be tickled pink with a stay in The Pendray Inn and Teahouse’s Belleville Room, which features pink ceiling frescoes from 1906 and linens to match! Then pop around to Floyd’s Diner, whose bright pink façade welcomes folks into their classic diner which has grown to be Victoria’s go-to brunch spot. Then hit the town in style on a guided shopping and wine tour with That Girl in Victoria, as host Michele Davis highlights the city’s best. After a day of sightseeing, sips, and shopping, it’s time to put a bow on our Barbie Day getaway with dinner at Q at the Empress. This beautiful dining room blends classic elegance and modern refinement, serving up a seasonal menu that celebrates our region’s finest ingredients. While you’re at the Q, be sure to try some of their namesake Empress Gin, which colour change from a deep indigo to a vibrant pink almost magically. In Victoria, every night is girls’ night. Want to explore more? Well, Barbie, we’re just getting started!
Local Tip: March is one of our favourite months for exploring our communities and neighbourhoods by bike or on foot, as the region is tickled pink with cherry blossom season. These vibrant blossoms bring splash of fabulous colour to our whimsical parks, gardens, and city streets, dusting pathways with a floral snowstorm of pink petals.
Cave into a snack attack
There’s no denying that Victorians like to eat, something has to fuel all that hiking, biking, and paddling we do. But simply put, there aren’t enough meals in the day! Thankfully, March 4th is National Snack Day, our favourite finger-licking foodie day of the year, and you’re going to need your stretchy pants. Give your sweet tooth what it yearns for with a Victoria Cream from Rogers’ Chocolates, who have served some of Canada’s finest chocolates for over 140 years at their National Historic Site storefront on Government Street. Grab some street food from Maize Can-Mex Fusion Cuisine and explore Canada’s oldest Chinatown and beyond. Dig into a roast chicken (that’s a snack, right?) and try dunking it into The Root Cellar’s famous Green Sauce, made fresh in Victoria. Then cap off your day right, with a cone from Better Acres Ice Cream, where you can indulge without the guilt on their premium gluten-free, low sugar, Canadian dairy ice cream. Snacks are important, they bridge the gap between breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner, and of course, dinner and breakfast, so snack away at these Victoria favourites.
Take a walk in the park
March 30th is Take a Walk in the Park Day. With over 138 parks and open spaces in Victoria proper, 170 in Saanich, and 33 Regional Parks & four Regional Trails, it’s always a beautiful day for a walk in the park in Victoria. And Spring might be our favourite season to explore as the blooms blossom, the birds chirp, and that not-too-hot, not-too-cold temperature makes being outdoors feel just right. From sky-high adventure up the Irvine Trail on PKOLS (formerly Mount Douglas) to seaside strolls along Island View Beach and everything in between, Victoria’s parks offer something for everyone, whether you’re looking for a short jaunt or a day of blisters and bliss. The region’s many communities are stitched together by a patchwork of forests, gardens, and greenspaces, so you don’t need to venture far to feel like you’ve escaped the city, with places such as Beacon Hill Park offering an evergreen oasis in the heart of Victoria. Slip on your sandals, or lace up your hikers, and find the walk that fits your pace in Greater Victoria’s countless and easily explorable parks.
Visiting from Washington?
You're in luck! Spring into the season with the Black Ball Ferry Line's MV Coho and their Savor & Stay in Victoria, BC package. March is the perfect time of year for a relaxing getaway filled with culinary exploration. Enjoy an overnight stay, with ferry fare and a $50 dining voucher per night booked for the entire month of March. Packages start at $129 US PP/DO, and you can choose from stays at the Chateau Victoria Hotel & Suites, the Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina by APA, or the Inn at Laurel Point. Plus you can receive HUGE savings on your Malahat SkyWalk admission ticket at only $17USD per person.
Savor and Stay packages are only bookable by phone. Call 877-386-2202 to book today.
In Victoria, we take brunch seriously. On weekends, most locals can be found enjoying fresh coffee, bacon and bennies at one of the many wonderful brunch spots around the city. Taking part in weekend brunch is decidedly indulgent, wonderfully west coast and a fantastic way to get a taste of local culture and cuisine.
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