The sunshine is here and just in time for the May long weekend!
According to the latest weather forecast, the sun is here to stay, with a possible high of 18 degrees – the perfect temperature for the return of the 122nd Victoria Day parade.
Do you have your SPF on hand and ready to take advantage of the sunshine we’ve dearly missed?
Here are 17 things to do in and around Victoria this May long weekend, May 21st to 23rd:
Luxton Fair
After a successful Esquimalt Buccaneer Days event, WCA is moving its carnival over to the Luxton Spring Fair in Langford to celebrate Victoria Day weekend, with tickets and hours found online here.
From Thursday, May 19th to Sunday, May 22nd, event-goers will also be able to visit the Luxton Fair Grounds to view antique farm equipment, tour a heritage museum and shop around vendor booths.
- When: Thursday, May 19th to Sunday, May 22nd
- Where: Luxton Fair Grounds, Marwood Ave., Langford
- Carnival Tickets: Online here.
Friday at the Station
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Langford Station has a whole new look and it is sure to be the place to be every Friday night throughout the summer!
The station turned community hub will celebrate its grand opening and first ever Friday at the Station event on Friday, May 20th with cold drinks, delicious food and plenty of shopping.
The weekly pop-up summer series is hosted by Victoria Beer Society who will also be on site serving up cold sleeves and flights of craft beer each week.
- Where: Langford Station, 720 Station Avenue
- When: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., every Friday from May 20th to August 26th
159th Victoria Highland Games
The 159th Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival will once again be held at the large grass fields of Topaz Park!
The event features pipe bands, Canadian Invitational Drum Major Challenge, International Heavy Events Challenge, Irish and Highland Dances and more.
- When: Starts at 6:30 p.m., gates open at 6 p.m., Saturday May 21st
- Where: Topaz Park, Topaz Ave & Finlayson Street & Blanshard Street
Military Sunset Ceremony at the Victoria Highland Games
Royal tradition and military pageantry will be on display when the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) mounted troop performs in Victoria this weekend.
Following the 159th Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival at Topaz Park this Saturday, May 21st, the troop will perform its ‘Soldiers of the Queen’ musical ride and cavalry drills later that evening.
This free to the public event is a tightly woven 80 minute spectacle of music and movement to recognize the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee—and if you can’t make it, Victoria Buzz plans to bring the event to you with a livestream on our Facebook page.
- When: Saturday, May 21st and Sunday, May 22nd
- Where: Topaz Park, Topaz Ave & Finlayson Street & Blanshard Street
Stars on Ice
Stars On Ice — a figure-skating competition featuring Canadian Olympic figure skaters in all their glory, will return to Victoria for the first time in two years due to the pandemic.
The production will take place on Saturday, May 21st at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
This year’s Stars on Ice tour will feature two of Canada’s most accomplished and iconic skaters Kurt Browning and Elvis Stojko, plus many of those who just earned national titles and represented Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
- When: Saturday, May 21st, 7:30 p.m.
- Where: Save On Food Memorial Centre, 1925 Blanshard Street
Just For Laughs with Rick Mercer
Just For Laughs is bringing its 19th Just For Laughs Comedy Tour to town this month, with a well-known comedian and TV personality set to host.
Just for Laughs Comedy Night in Canada will be at downtown’s Royal Theatre for two shows on Sunday, May 22nd at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., with Rick Mercer leading the line-up.
Just For Laughs says it’s giving $1 per ticket sold to Movember—a platform that brings awareness to men’s health, including mental health, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
- When: Sunday, May 22nd at 7 p.m. or 10 p.m.
- Where: Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton Street
- Tickets: Start at $67.75 online here
Victoria Day Parade
The 122nd Victoria Day Parade will take place this long weekend, for the first time in two years, after the organizers were forced to cancel the event in 2020—marking the first time in its decades-long history.
The parade begins at Mayfair Mall and continues along Douglas Street finishing at the intersection of Douglas and Humboldt Street.
According to the GVFS, hundreds of floats and cultural performances will take place along the parade route.
- When: Monday May 23rd, starting at 9 a.m.
- Where: Begins at Mayfair Mall and continues along Douglas Street finishing at the intersection of Douglas and Humboldt Street.
Canvas Family Fest
Celebrate Victoria Day at Canvas Family Fest! A fun filled event for the entire family, and it is completely free!
Activities include games, crafts, prizes, inflatables, face painting, live music, and more
- Where: Veterans Memorial Park
- When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, May 23rd
Eat on a Vancouver Island patio
With sunshine in the forecast this Victoria Day long weekend, what better way to soak up some rays than by enjoying food and drink on an outdoor patio.
Across Greater Victoria, restaurant patios abound, with three in and around the region earning a spot on OpenTable’s annual Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants for Outdoor Dining list, released Monday.
Check out the list here.
Try Lure’s new menu
Hands up if you’re ready for patio season, ’cause we know we are!
And we’re here to let you know that one of Victoria’s hottest patios—figuratively and literally—has not only opened for the season, but they’ve launched a brand new menu, too.
LURE Restaurant & Bar has a stunning location nestled in the Inner Harbour where they serve up lively, fresh and local tastes daily.
Featuring some of the best views in all of Victoria, you can enjoy breakfast, brunch, all-day and happy hour menus featuring simple delicious selections of sharing plates and full entrées with a creative local twist using the freshest finds from Vancouver Island’s backyard.
Try one of Victoria residents favourite grocery hacks
If you live in Victoria (or anywhere in BC for that matter), you probably want to find all the ways you can to save some money.
Surging inflation is causing a spike in prices for everyday things like food, housing, gasoline (this is a whole other story), utilities, and other goods we come to rely on.
With all that in mind, we took to Reddit a couple of weeks ago and asked redditors; What are your grocery shopping hacks in Victoria (to save $)?
Check out the list here!
Get your name on the list for this year’s Dîner en Blanc
If you’ve always dreamed of getting your hands on tickets to Dîner en Blanc, it’s almost time!
Ticket sales for the rain or shine picnic event on June 23rd are entering Phase 3 for the general public this week, and all you have to do is register your email for first access to the ticketed event.
The annual event, focusing on the elegance and glamour of French culture, takes place at a secret location revealed to hundreds of eager participants shortly before the event.
- Where: Secret location to be announced
- When: Thursday, June 23rd
- Tickets: Register online here
Try Victoria’s new vegan donut shop
Frickin’ Delights Donuts, originally from Alberta, are now open in YYJ—in their sweet little spot on Yates Street.
Frickin’ Delights donuts not only look delicious, they’re also 100% vegan, made fresh daily, and come in a large variety of different flavours.
They use ingredients like local wholegrain flour, applesauce, soft brown sugar, sea salt and coconut milk, and their donuts are dairy free and egg free—meaning they’re safe for those with those allergies.
The donut shop confirmed on Facebook that their new spot at 632 Yates Street is officially open.
- Where: 632 Yates Street
- Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday, closed Mondays
Get your Vancouver Island wine and spirits ‘Passport’
The team behind the Victoria International Wine Festival and Cheese and Meat Festival are back with this year’s Islands Passport, a veritable road map to the best breweries, wineries, distilleries, and cideries that Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands have to offer.
You’ll have the chance to explore over 20 different vendors while learning about the process of production, experiencing tasting notes, and most importantly, supporting the small business community in your own backyard.
Want to know the best part? Each passport includes a complimentary flight from the vendor along with promotional offerings you can’t find anywhere else!
- Where: All across Vancouver and the Gulf Islands
- When: Available now, and can be used until June 2023
- How to buy: $35.99 for Early Bird until June 1st. $39.99 regular price. Get your passport here!
Book a staycation
The reviews are in and a trio of hotels in BC’s capital are celebrating success, checking into a select list of the best hotels coast to coast.
Tripadvisor has released the winners of its annual Travellers’ Choice Awards for Hotels, naming the top hotels globally, including 25 from Canada.
Check out the list here!
Check out the CityVibe event guide
With so many events happening in Victoria this year, it can be difficult to keep track.
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, CityVibe, created by the City of Victoria, is back with all the event info for you to have the best summer in the city.
CityVibe is a virtual go-to guide for free events, summer festivals, arts and cultural activities, galleries and public markets.
The guide showcases 40 festivals and outdoor activities and more than 100 free outdoor music concerts and activities.
There are also listings for public markets, museums, art galleries and more.
You can view the full guide online here!
Check out the Orcas display
A popular downtown Victoria garden display has made its return, providing a perfect spring photo-op along the Inner Harbour.
The Surfacing display, otherwise known as ‘The Orcas’ is a garden display of a mother and baby orca riding a wave.
Every spring, since 2010, the orcas take up residence in Victoria’s Inner Harbour, on the southeast corner of Government and Humboldt streets.
The four-metre tall, six-metre long three-dimensional horticultural display was created with 10,000 plants and weighs in at 11,380 pounds.
- Where: On the southeast corner of Government and Humboldt streets.
- When: On display throughout the spring and summer, starting May 19th.
