The Christmas countdown is on!
If you are looking for some fun events to get in the holiday spirit, we’ve got your back!
This weekend, give to a good cause, visit a festive gift shop, see a one man holiday show and go ice skating!
There are 15 days until Christmas, have you wrapped all your presents?
Here are 24 things to do in and around Victoria this weekend, December 11th-12th:
See Ed Hill’s Comedy Show “Candy and Smiley”
Vancouver comedian Ed Hill is bringing his comedic stylings to Vancouver Island, with a show downtown Victoria this weekend!
His new tour, with a stop at Victoria’s very own Duke Saloon, is a follow up to his first ever comedy special, “Candy and Smiley”
The special, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and Apple TV, was named “Top 10 Comedy Specials of 2021” by Paste Magazine.
- Where: 502 Discovery Street, The Duke Saloon
- When: 7 p.m., Saturday, December 11th
- Tickets: $20/each at Eventbrite.ca
Watch the Victoria Royals vs. Vancouver Giants
This Saturday, watch the Victoria Royals play the Vancouver Giants!
- When: Saturday, December 11th; puck drops at 7:05 p.m.
- Where: Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, 1925 Blanshard Street
- Tickets: Available online and at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre box office
Donate to the Peninsula Firefighters Christmas Food Drive
The annual Peninsula Firefighters Christmas Food Drive is back for the holidays, with plenty of ways to donate on Saturday, December 11th!
This year, Sidney, North Saanich and Central Saanich firefighters join forces to offer drive through, drop off stations and contact less options.
All non-perishable food items and cash donations will go to the Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank.
You can see the list of donation locations here.
Ross Bay Villa Festive Gift Shop
For the next two Saturdays, Ross Bay Villa volunteers will be putting on a Festive Gift Shop!
Stop by for gifts, Christmas cards, Christmas baking, wreaths and beautiful gift baskets.
- Where: Ross Bay Villa, 1490 Fairfield Road
- When: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday December 11th and 18th
Moss Street Market Holiday Market
The Moss Street Market features over 70 vendors! Goodies include bath and beauty products, cards, clothing, purses, jewelry, pottery, woodworks, glassworks, art, toys, preserves, baked goods, winter vegetables, meats, coffee, chocolates, hot food, beer, wine, cider, and more!
- Where: Fairfield Community Centre, Garry Oak Room, Sir James Douglas School gym, and a school portable, 1330 Fairfield Road
- When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., December 11th and 12th
- Admission: Free!
Experience Christmas at Craigdarroch Castle
This December, Craigdarroch Castle presents the one-man version of A Christmas Carol, performed by actor Jason Stevens!
This performance, recommended for those ages 13 and up, will get you in the Christmas spirit for multiple shows over 8 days. Including Christmas Eve!
- Where: Craigdarroch Castle, 1050 Joan Crescent
- When: 6 p.m. and 8 p.m, December 11th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 22nd, 23rd and 24th
- Tickets: $30 each or $25 for museum members. You can get tickets online or by emailing info@thecastle.ca.
Skate at Uptown
The Rink at Uptown is ready to invite eager skaters in!
This holiday, guests will be able to skate for $5 per person and $2 skate rentals. Guests can book their 40 minute time spot online for groups up to 6 people.
Waivers and masks are required in order to participate, so guests are asked to arrive five minutes prior to check-in to sign in and get laced up!
The festive fun is also for a good cause! 50% of proceeds from The Rink will be donated to 1UP Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre, in support of their Christmas Hamper Program.
- Where: Uptown Boulevard, 3440 Saanich Road
- When: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday to Thursday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
Skate at West Shore Parks & Recreation
This weekend, enjoy a Winter Wonderland Themed Skate with a red wearing, cookie loving special guest.
Guests can drop in for this skate, however, booking via phone or online is recommended.
- Where: Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre, 1767 Island Highway
- When: 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., December 11th and 12th
Get your pet a photo with Santa
This December, visit a PetSmart store near you for a photo of your pet with Santa.
Participating PetSmart locations will be offering this free event, all you have to do is book an appointment and show up!
There are three PetSmart locations on Vancouver Island, including two in the Greater Victoria area at Uptown and Millstream Village Shopping Centre.
Photos can be taken on your own personal device or on the store’s event camera. Photos will be delivered via email.
You can also download the PetSmart app to use fun photo filters during the event.
- Where: At your nearest participating PetSmart location
- When: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on December 4th, 5th, 11th, 12th, 18th and 19th
- Price: Free! Book your appointment here.
See a comedy show at Hecklers
After being closed for nearly two years, Hecklers is back to fulfill your comedy needs. Every Saturday night, enjoy a comedian followed by Comedy Here Often?’s The Late show.
- Where: 123 Gorge Road East, Hecklers Bar and Grill
- When: Chris Griffin and Bo Johnson: 7 p.m., Saturday, Comedy Here Often? The Late Show: 10 p.m., Saturday December 4th
- Tickets: $20. Tickets can be purchased online here.
30th Annual Festival of Trees
The BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s 30th annual Festival of Trees is back at the Bay Centre!
This local tradition is the unofficial kick-off to the holiday season.
Stroll through over 70 Christmas trees decorated by local businesses in support of mental health programs at BC Children’s Hospital.
- When: November 18th – January 4th, regular shopping hours
- Where: The Bay Centre, 1150 Douglas Street
- Admission: Free – vote by donation!
Try Tim Hortons new ‘Timbiebs’
Justin Bieber is helping bring three fresh flavours of Timbits in what both him and Tim Hortons are calling Timbiebs.
The pride of London, Ontario, teased the collaboration two days ago in an Instagram post and had fans wondering what was going on.
Now he’s helping bring three Timbiebs flavours – Chocolate White Fudge, Sour Cream Chocolate Chip, and Birthday Cake Waffle – to stores across North America.
See a movie at the drive in!
No, you haven’t been transported back in time, this is real! Legacy Drive-In has announced showtimes for their outdoor theatre at Westshore Motorsports Park this holiday season.
This weekend, enjoy a holiday movie from the comfort of your car as you enjoy food by Westshore Burger Co.
Tickets must be purchased in advance and it is recommended patrons arrive 30 minutes before showtime to ensure they get the best spot.
- Where: Westshore Motorsports Park (formerly Western Speedway) 2207 Millstream Road
- When: Scrooged: 6:30 p.m., Friday December 10th, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation: 6 p.m., Saturday December 11th, and Miracle on 34th Street: 5 p.m., Sunday December 12th
- Price: $30/car. Tickets can be purchased here.
Purchase a calendar by a local photographer
Across Vancouver Island, local creatives have compiled their best and favourite work from 2021 into wall calendars for this upcoming year. These are available for pre-order and purchase!
These 12 month calendars will help keep you organized in 2022 while supporting local businesses and causes.
You can see our list here.
Try the new Driftwood Brewery Tasting Lounge
Thirteen years after Driftwood Brewery began operation at their original brewery in Rock Bay, the company has moved to a new warehouse space in Esquimalt.
The 59,000 square foot space is located at 836 Viewfield Road and includes a distillery, tasting lounge with a patio, kitchen and an enhanced retail store.
Enjoy your favourite Driftwood beers, spirits from the new Driftwood Spirits, food from Dumpling Drop and select wine, beer and cider from other producers!
- Where: 836 Viewfield Road, Esquimalt
- When: 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Sunday
Enjoy an eggnog latte
It’s no secret everyone was disappointed when Starbucks announced their fan favourite eggnog latte would be excluded from their holiday menu this year.
However, this doesn’t mean you will go without this year!
Coffee shops across Victoria are now announcing their very own eggnog lattes and other holiday drink menus. This means you can still live your eggnog latte dreams while supporting local businesses. You can see our list here.
Try Victoria’s newest German-Swiss inspired restaurant
A brand new German/Swiss-inspired restaurant has opened in Victoria and you’re invited to celebrate!
Eva Schnitzelhaus, the brand new addition to Victoria’s Chinatown district, offers new interpretations of classic German, Swiss and Austrian dishes for the public to enjoy.
The 600 square foot restaurant is bright and spacious, seating 38 diners with an interior designed to feel like the ambiance of an authentic ski chalet.
- Location: 509 Fisgard Street
- Hours: Opens November 17th for dinner service. Regular hours to be announced.
Enjoy a charcuterie night out
Now that we are able to go out and catch up with friends over dinner again, we want it to be special. We want to go all out!
Getting dressed up, ordering a glass of wine and sharing a charcuterie board at a local restaurant can make you feel fancy and sophisticated.
Charcuterie boards give you a little bit of everything, meat, cheeses, pickled sides. It’s the perfect sharing dish to have while you discuss everything you’ve missed with your friends.
You can view our list here!
Check out Victoria’s new British Shop
A brand new shop specializing in British treats has opened in Victoria and we’re buzzing with excitement!
Limey, the British Shop, opened as a single, family-run location in Kelowna. Now, they’re overjoyed as they expand to, in their words “the most British city in all of Canada”.
This fun and funky shop specializes in all things British, from sweets and crisps, to bangers, black pudding and Marmite.
- Location: #101, 515 Chatham Street
- Hours:
- Monday to Saturday – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sunday – 11 a.m to 4 p.m
- Contact: (778) 432-4620
Try a Starbucks holiday drink
Holidays are back at Starbucks with some old favourites and a brand new addition to their festive menu!
Starting Thursday, November 4th, when you visit a Starbucks location your hot drink will come in a festive red Starbucks cup.
Try some of Victoria local’s favourite meals
On a local subreddit, r/VictoriaBC, user fyrite asked the public to share their favourite local dishes, the go-tos, the ones people can’t live without.
Victoria delivered, and over 300 recommendations were posted to the thread.
Fyrite took the recommendations and created a mass spreadsheet and map to allow the suggestions to be easily accessible and enjoyed by everyone!
Try one of Victoria’s best crispy chicken sandwiches
Victoria is full of restaurants putting their own creative spin on the crispy chicken sandwich!
Reddit user u/beesmadehoney78 has been on the hunt, asking for the public’s help in finding Victoria’s best fried chicken sandwich.
Click here to see the list!
Try some of Victoria’s best cocktails
Reddit user u/westcoastwanderer has been on the hunt, asking for the public’s recommendations of the best cocktails in the city.
From this list, along with recommendations from industry professionals, we have created a quick guide to some local favourites.
You can see the list here!
Get bubble tea!
What is your go to Bubble Tea order?
Milk tea, fresh fruit tea, or slush? Do you get tapioca pearls or coconut jellies?
The possibilities are endless and, in Victoria, so are the options to get your favourite tea drink.
Not sure where to go? You can view our list of best bubble tea places to satisfy your craving here.
