It’s all happening in Fernwood
Head to Fernwood this weekend for FernFest, a two-day jam-packed family, art and music festival, Friday and Saturday at Fernwood Square and the Belfry Theatre.
The festival begins at 5 p.m. Friday with music in Fernwood Square and on the Belfry Theatre’s main stage.
Check out an interactive sculpture inside the Belfry’s lobby or attend workshops in Studio A on Saturday.
On Saturday morning, the festival, now in its 24th year, kicks off with a community breakfast in Fernwood Square, followed by the Kidical Mass Bike Parade.
At Victoria High School, you’ll find an artisan market and the Field of Dreams, which includes the Market Stage, Kids’ Stage, cardboard castle, art activities, silent auction, musical petting zoo, pop-up theatre, non-profit tables, garden and heritage walking tours, silk screening, bike tune-ups and bubbles galore.
Enjoy a full afternoon of live music, theatre and comedy on the Gazebo Stage and Belfry Stage from noon to 10 p.m.
All-ages, fully licensed spaces will offer beverages and barbecued sausages throughout the day.
The festival, hosted by the Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group, is free to attend. It runs from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday at Fernwood Square and the Belfry Theatre, 1291 Gladstone Ave. To pre-register for workshops, go to fernwoodnrg.ca/fernfest/ workshops. For more information, go to fernwoodnrg.ca/events-directory/fernfest.
• Stick around on Sunday for Fernwood Bites, where you can taste the best food and drink on southern Vancouver Island.
The event, a fundraiser for the Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group, is back for its 10th year.
Join friends and neighbours to enjoy samples from more than 30 restaurants, breweries, distilleries, cideries and wineries.
Proceeds will support programs and services, including affordable housing, childcare, youth, senior, family-support and food programs, and recreation, as well as arts and cultural events.
This is a 19-and-older event, which takes place rain or shine.
Tickets are $80. The event runs 5:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday in Fernwood Square, 1291 Gladstone Ave.
For more information, go to fernwoodnrg.ca/events-directory/fernwood-bites.
Take in a movie, then camp for the night at Fort Rodd Hill
Bring popcorn — and a sleeping bag, if you like — to Camp-In Movie, a movie night at the best-preserved artillery fort on Canada’s West Coast, Saturday at Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites.
Stay for the movie or sign up in advance to sleep over in four- and six-person tents available for rent, or to sleep in your own tent. A sleepover in your own tent costs $17.60, while tent rentals are $55 for a four-person, or $70 for a six-person.
Bring your own sleeping bags, pads and pillows, and blankets and chairs for the movie. Stay tuned for the movie-title announcement.
Managed by Parks Canada, Fort Rodd Hill is a coast artillery fort built in the late 1890s to defend Victoria and the Esquimalt Naval Base.
The national historic site features interpretive signs and audio-visual stations, three gun batteries, underground magazines, command posts, guardhouses, barracks and searchlight emplacements.
Be transported back more than 50 years, to when soldiers’ families inhabited the same grounds during their summer camp-out. You will fall asleep to the soothing sounds of nature and the ocean.
The movie-night performance is included in the site’s general admission: $3.90 adults, $3.40 seniors, free for youth 17 and under. To book an overnight stay, call 250-478-5849 or go online.
Indigenous culture showcased
Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day at the Victoria Indigenous Cultural Festival, a free weekend of cultural performances, tours and traditional artisan-crafted goods at the Royal B.C. Museum, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The event, hosted by the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, kicks off on Friday with a traditional Canoe Crossing Protocol Welcome, followed by an official introduction and welcome.
“We look forward to inviting locals and visitors to Victoria to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day with us at this year’s Indigenous Cultural Festival,” said Brenda Baptiste, board chairwoman for Indigenous Tourism B.C. “The event not only celebrates and honours centuries of Indigenous cultures, it also showcases the incredible breadth of talent and tenacity in our communities.”
Guests can join daily cultural tours hosted by local artist Andy Everson, attend a smudging ceremony, watch shows featuring drumming and dancers, or engage with traditional artisans as they demonstrate the creative process involved in carving, jewelry-making and printing.
Visitors can also taste authentic cuisine prepared by members of the Songhees Nation. Delicacies on offer include barbecue salmon burgers, crispy fried bread and creamy clam chowder.
You can browse the museum’s feature and permanent exhibitions, including the recently refreshed First Peoples Gallery, to learn more about the region’s Indigenous history.
The festival is free. It runs 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to Sunday in the plaza of the Royal B.C. Museum, 675 Belleville St. The daily schedule can be found here.
See Gulf Islands at your own pace
Enjoy three days of special events, natural beauty and southern Gulf Islands hospitality at the Tour Des Iles Festival, Friday to Sunday on Pender, Saturna, Salt Spring, Galiano and Mayne islands.
This is the fifth year of the annual event, which features inter-island small-boat service and courtesy shuttles, staffed with knowledgeable and friendly local drivers.
See island attractions such as art galleries, markets and natural wonders as you experience each island’s warmth and charm at your own pace.
Organizers charge a small fee per trip. The festival runs from Friday to Sunday on all five participating islands. For more information and a schedule of events, go to tourdesiles.ca.
Enjoy kayaking at Paddle Days
Get your feet wet in the world of kayaking at Paddle Days, a preview of summer kayak camps in the Esquimalt Lagoon on Saturday.
Hosted by EcoQuest Adventures, the event is an opportunity for children and their families to try out kayaking in a safe and fun way. There will be family activities, an inflatable amusement and local food vendors.
The event is free to attend. It runs 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Esquimalt Lagoon, 2901 Ocean Blvd., Colwood.
For more information, go to ecoquestadventures.com.
