Our picks of places to go and things to do to make the most of your month on Vancouver Island.
PINKIES UP HERE – What began as a one-time event in 1963 is now one of Victoria’s most cherished annual events. The Oak Bay Tea Party, which takes place Saturday, June 1st and Sunday, June 2nd at Willows Beach, features a host of family-friendly events from Saturday’s lively Tea Party Parade, which winds through the streets of Oak Bay, to Sunday’s Air Show, featuring skydivers and Canadian Forces Aircraft. The weekend’s festivities also include a Bathtub Race, the Baron of Beef beach BBQ and the Castle Kids Corral, with all events helping raise funds for local organizations and community projects.
KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE SKIES HERE – June brings the start of the spectacular, weekly fireworks show at Butchart Gardens. Every Saturday from June 29th to August 31st, the skies come alive with fireworks choreographed to music, which can be enjoyed from the viewing lawn and private viewing areas within the gardens or by boat from the waters of the surrounding Tod Inlet.
GET YOUR CRAFT BEER FIX HERE – Gather in the Backyard at Philips Brewery in Victoria on Saturday, June 1st for HOPoxia 2019, an event featuring 45 of B.C.’s finest craft breweries and cideries for “one big hoppy love-in.” Coast Lunch Box and Deadbeetz Food Truck will be serving delicious food, while the funky brass stylings of The Brass and Jonnie 5 Brass Band will entertain, along with DJ Bill Stuart. Get your tickets here.
FEEL THE PRIDE HERE – Nanaimo Pride Week begins Tuesday, June 4th as the rainbow flag is raised above Nanaimo City Hall at 6pm. The week’s events include the queer youth dance, drag bingo, Gay-Larious Comedy Night and the Pride Official Dance, all leading up to the Nanaimo Pride Parade on Sunday, June 9th at 12pm, beginning at Commercial Street and ending at Maffeo Sutton Park on Comox.
GET YOUR (MUDDY) GAME FACE ON HERE – The Nanaimo 5k Foam Festival slides into town Saturday, June 8th, featuring 22 of the best and most exciting obstacles in the world. Among them are hurdles, a tube crawl, rope climb, the world’s largest inflatable waterslide, slip and slides, and mucky mud pits. Add more than 2.5 million cubic feet of foam, and you have yourself a wet and wild good time.
PLUCK SOME STRINGS HERE – Kicking off its inaugural event, the Cowichan Valley Bluegrass Festival comes to Laketown Ranch Music Park in Lake Cowichan on Father’s Day Weekend. From June 14th to 16th, the 5,800-square-foot performance area will welcome renowned musicians, including Claire Lynch, The Lonely Heartstring Band and The Slocan Ramblers. The all-ages festival, which moved from its original location of 16 years in Sooke B.C., offers unlimited camping and a lively Saturday night square dance.
