A lantern procession to welcome the winter equinox and a miniature boat parade are two of several events taking place on Sunday.
Join in a lantern procession and take part in other seasonal activities at Lights on the Gorge, a local multicultural celebration of light, on Sunday.
This is the fourth year of the annual event, hosted by the Gorge Tillicum Community Association.
The four-hour family-friendly event includes music, a Mummers play, readings, carol singing, crafts and storytelling.
The event begins with the stringing of lights on a tree at 1:30 p.m. and concludes with the lantern procession at 5:45 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a lantern to participate in the procession, which runs from the Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club to Gorge-ous Coffee on Gorge Road West.
There is no charge to participate in Lights on the Gorge which runs between 1:30 and 6 p.m. Activities take place at both the Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club, 345 Gorge Rd. West and Gorge-ous Coffee, 300 Gorge Rd. West. Participants are encouraged to bring along their own mug for refreshments.
For information, go to gorgetillicum.ca.
Also on Sunday, check out a miniature flotilla of decorated boats and other vessels at the Christmas Lighted Model Boat Parade.
The event, hosted by the Victoria Model Shipbuilding Society, takes place at Harrison Pond, Dallas Road at Government Street. The event starts at 5 p.m., weather permitting.
For information, go to vmss.ca or 250-385-9552.
Music, dance for the solstice
Vancouver Island native Cari Burdett returns just in time for the holidays with some well-known Canadian musicians to perform a fusion of world, jazz, pop and carols in the 5th annual Winter Solstice Tour in Victoria on Monday.
The concert melds music and movement. Participating artists include internationally-acclaimed musicians Richard Moody (violin), Miles Black (piano, sax, guitar), Anne Schaefer (piano, guitar, vocals) and vocalist Sara Marreiros. Dancer Marisa Jackson adds movement to the music to complete the show.
Every year brings new songs and this year is no different, with a beautiful and moving version of the Huron Carol — in English, French and Ojibwa. The performers will also invite the audience to join them in song.
Tickets are $15 in advance (valid until Friday) or $20 at the door, $5 for children. The concert runs 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at the Oak Bay United Church, 1355 Mitchell St. The tour also plays on Friday at the Christian Reformed Church in Duncan, Saturday at the ArtSpring Theatre on Salt Spring Island and Sunday at the Harbour City Theatre in Nanaimo.
For information, go to cariburdett.com/5th-annual-winter-solstice.
Ho ho ho with Uncle Wiggly
Billed as a refreshing take on a traditional Christmas show, the Uncle Wiggly’s Hot Shoes Blues Band, with special guest David Vest, will perform Blues Songs of Christmas on Sunday.
The nine-piece band will play a collection of traditional Blues Christmas songs from the ’20s through the ’60s by the likes of Louis Jordan, Big Joe Turner, BB King, Eric Clapton, Charles Brown and Etta James.
Uncle Wiggly’s has been around since 1978. The former RCA recording artists are members of the Victoria Music Hall of Fame. In January, the band represented B.C. in Memphis at the International Blues Challenge.
The band is made up of Hank (Uncle Wiggly) Lionhart (vocals), Lonnie Glass (bass), Mark Comerford (guitar), Matt McLean (trumpet), Dave Rowse (sax), Andy Graffiti (drums) with special guests Dennis Meneely (keyboards), Paul Wainwright (sax) and Deb Rhymer (vocals).
General admission to the concert is $22.50 in advance, with tickets possibly available from the box office and venue a few hours prior to the event. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Ave.
For information, go to rmts.bc.ca/events/uncle-wiggly-2015-alix-goolden.
Longest Night a time for quiet contemplation
Not everybody is jolly this time of year. And some people just need a break from the shopping frenzy. The Longest Night Service, at the St. Luke Cedar Hill Anglican Church on Sunday, is a service for those looking for the true spirit of Christmas.
“It’s an opportunity for people to slow down from
all the busyness,” said Barb Prescott, a warden at the church. “This time of year can also be difficult for many people because they struggle with their life situations due to loss or a change in their lives.”
The Longest Night Service is a spiritual boost as well as a time for quiet contemplation.
This is the third year the church has offered the service, which is similar to Sunday’s Evensong early evening service, a highlight of the Anglican Church for centuries.
The service is “like a light in the midst of darkness,” said Prescott. It is a simple time-out to help people foster a feeling of retrospection and hope as Christmas approaches.
The reflective prayer service features readings, hymns, carols and the opportunity for churchgoers to light candles in remembrance of loved ones.
The service is free and open to everyone. The one-hour service starts at 7 p.m. Sunday at the church, 3821 Cedar Hill Cross Rd., followed by a social time with coffee, tea and cookies.
St. Luke’s is one of the few Anglican churches that regularly holds four services on Sunday — at 8, 9:15 and 11 a.m., and 7 p.m. On the third Sunday of the month, there is a combined 10 a.m. service instead of the 9:15 and 11 a.m. service. There is a communion service at 10:30 a.m.Thursdays.
For information, call 250-477-6741 or visit stlukesvictoria.ca.
Scootin’ with Santa
Santa gives Rudolf and the rest of the reindeer a day off as he makes his way through city streets collecting donations on a classic scooter on Saturday.
Santa Scoot is a fun fundraising parade of Vespas and other vintage motor scooters decorated for the holidays.
After the parade, the participants will gather at Market Square for a pizza party. People can admire the assembled motorcycles and enjoy pizza supplied by Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria. A dollar from the sale of each pizza will go to Help Fill A Dream.
The party features live music and drinks brewed by Phillip’s Soda Works.
Admission is free. The parade runs 11 a.m. to noon, with the festivities continuing until 2 p.m. at Market Square, 560 Johnson St. Details at marketsquare.ca.