Busy first weekend of 2024, Victoria!
With so many incredible events going on at once, it’s lucky you don’t have to limit yourself to one—instead pick as many as your heart desires and see how much you can pack into one weekend.
Check out the greatness of the Motorsports Spectacular, get social with pals at a sour beer event in The Drake Eatery, let loose at Friends of Dorothy’s Dinner & Drag, and much more!
If you’re looking for something a little more laid back, Saturday has free entry into the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, you can watch a live performance or two, and even get your Christmas tree chipped if you’ve been meaning to do that.
Either way, lots of options and ways to combat boredom and the rainy blues!
Here’s 10 things to do in and around Victoria this weekend—January 6th and 7th:
Jesus Christ Superstar
Don’t miss out on the 50th year of the widely-popular musical phenomenon Jesus Christ Superstar as they perform their final couple of days on stage at the Royal Theatre!
It’s set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events, detailing the final weeks of Jesus Christ’s life through the eyes of Judas.
It features lyrics and music by Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winners Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber and is directed by acclaimed director Timothy Sheader (Crazy for You, Into the Woods) and choreographed by iconic Drew McOnie (King Kong, Strictly Ballroom).
Tickets start at $161 and can be purchased here.
- Where: Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton Street
- When:
- Saturday, January 6th at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, January 7th at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Get Your Christmas Tree Chipped
Well, Victoria, as much as none of us want to hear it, another Christmas season has come and gone.
Depending on when you like to pack up your decorations and take the tree down, you may be trying to figure out where you can get this year’s tree chipped!
Lucky for you, there are plenty of places offering tree chipping services this weekend, and a full list of them can be found here!
Also, don’t forget to remove all screws, nails, lights, and ornaments from the tree. These items may be potentially hazardous if passed through chipping equipment.
Full article: 29 places to get your Christmas tree chipped in and around Victoria
- Where: At multiple locations across Greater Victoria!
- When: Saturday, January 6th and Sunday, January 7th
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
There are always multiple incredible exhibitions happening at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and what they’re offering now is no exception!
Their current displays include In The Flesh, which opened in early December and will run until the end of March—curated by Steven McNeil, Chief Curator & Director of Collections and Exhibitions.
It brings together more than one hundred works of art that share a common focus: the nude as a subject for artistic expression at varying times of beautiful, sensual, intimate and provocative.
Plus, because it’s the first Saturday of the month, admission is free!
- Where: Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, 1040 Moss Street
- When: Saturday, January 6th (free) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Winter Wild & Sour Beer Extravaganza
Head downtown to the Drake Eatery for their Winter Wild & Sour Beer Extravaganza!
They’ve pulled together a fine selection of wild fermented, barrel aged sour beers and are so pumped for you to try as many as possible.
Ring 2024 with a fantastic social gathering with beer enthusiasts and friends!
- Where: The Drake Eatery, 517 Pandora Avenue
- When: Saturday, January 6th from 12 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Dinner and Drag
Every Saturday, Friends of Dorothy hosts a gourmet dinner experience with the iconic Queen Mina Mercury and phenomenal weekly guests!
With a mixture of incredible food, drag performances, and cocktails, it has quickly become one of their most popular events.
Bring your family and friends and embrace the unique and marvelous atmosphere!
You can book a table on their website or by calling (778) 432-4565.
- Where: Friends of Dorothy, 537 Johnson Street
- When: Saturday, January 6th from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Motorsports Spectacular
Start your engines and grab your earplugs—there’s a monstrously cool and loud motorsport event happening in Victoria this weekend!
It kicked off this Friday and will feature two more spectacular shows on Saturday, so if you didn’t get the chance to catch the first one, it’s not too late.
Featured in the lineup are bone-crunching monster truck racing, a wheelie contest, high-flying freestyle motocross action, and more thrill-a-minute, death-defying stunts.
If you’ve had the pleasure of witnessing this event before, you’ll be excited to welcome back the impressive monster truck lineup including Rockstar, Power Up, California Kid, Spitfire, and Identity Theft.
- Where: Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, 1925 Blanshard Street
- When: Saturday, January 6th at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Sidney Elementary PAC
The Sidney Elementary PAC is offering a no-sort bottle drive this Sunday!
All of the proceeds gathered from the bottles will go towards the school’s programs.
- Where: 2281 Henry Avenue
- When: Sunday, January 7th from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dracula—A Trilogy of Terror
Don’t miss the final movement in the three-part Dracula Trilogy of Terror, Part 3: Annihilation!
In collaboration with Bounce Performance Works, UVic Theatre faculty member Brian Richmond has adapted and is directing a public reading of Bram Stoker’s classic 19th century horror story, Dracula.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online or at the UVic Phoenix Theatre one hour before the performance.
Seating is first-come-first-served, so show up with plenty of time!
- Where: UVic’s Phoenix Theatre, 3800 Finnerty Road
- When: Movement Three: Sunday, January 7th at 2 p.m.
Karaoke at Friends of Dorothy
Sunday night karaoke at Friends of Dorothy is the perfect opportunity to let out your inner diva and give your vocals the time to shine!
They have plenty of bops to pick from, so you’ll have no troubles finding a favourite you know you can crush.
Gather your pals and get jamming!
- Where: Friends of Dorothy, 537 Johnson Street
- When: Sunday, January 7th from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Blues Jam at Hermann’s Upstairs
Hosted by the Deb Rhymer Band, you’re invited to join them in celebrating an afternoon of Blues music and dance the day away!
The Deb Rhymer Band features Kelly Fawcett on guitar, Lee Worden on bass, Phil Whipper on drums, and Deb Rhymer’s leading vocals.
They’ve played at many different festivals and venues and has received worldly praise!
Tickets are $5 and jammers get in for free!
- Where: Hermann’s Upstairs, 753 View Street
- When: Sunday, January 7th from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 3 p.m.)
