Swashbuckling pirates and a van cruising the streets belting out wakey, wakey early in the morning can only mean one thing: It’s Esquimalt Buccaneer Days.
The popular four-day festival, which runs from today until Sunday, is about a month earlier than usual this year, due to scheduling conflicts with the midway-ride supplier.
The change won’t likely affect attendance, expected to be between 3,000 and 4,000 over four days, organizers say. If anything, the earlier date is better for children, because the June date was always the weekend before exam week at school.
Midway rides are available from Thursday onwards. This year, the dance venue changes to the Curling Club and the Buccaneer Market Place of arts and crafts takes place in the arena.
What hasn’t changed is a seniors’ barbecue, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday, and an early-morning wakeup call from the Buccaneer Days Wakey Wakey Wagon on Saturday. Residents will get a friendly wakeup call from a van full of firefighters calling out “Wakey, Wakey” through a loudspeaker as they drive through neighbourhood streets between 7 and 9:30 a.m.
Early risers can take in the Lions Pancake Breakfast (in the arena this year) between 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. The parade runs from 10 to 11:30 a.m. along Esquimalt Road, between Dominion Road and Admirals Street. Free events include local entertainment on the stage in Bullen Park, a children’s play zone and races.
A community dance in the curling rink rounds out a busy Saturday, with two bands: Busta Moove and Rocksteady. The dance runs from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., with live bands starting at 9 p.m.
Sunday’s activities include food booths, a bake sale, a model train demonstration, a dog agility demonstration, music and a pie plate/sky-diving contest. Events take place 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
More than 20 community organizations will have information booths at the family-friendly festival.
Attendees are advised to leave pets at home.
Admission is free. The midway will run from 3 to 10 p.m. Thursday, 3 to 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Bullen Field, 1151 Esquimalt Rd. Dance tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. For information, go to esquimaltbuccaneerdays.ca.
A stargazer’s dream day at the museum, observatory
Stargazers will get an opportunity to stare deep into the known universe at International Astronomy Day events planned for Saturday.
Daytime activities take place at the Royal B.C. Museum, followed by public telescope viewing at the National Research Council of Canada’s Dominion Astrophysical Observatory and the Centre of the Universe when the sun sets.
The day’s activities begin at 10 a.m. with solar telescopes at the museum for safe viewing of the sun. Visitors can also see a Walk among the Planets display, created by members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, outside on the main concourse.
Telescope, mirror grinding, astrophotography and historical displays can be found in the museum’s Clifford Carl Hall, with society volunteers and Science Venture students from the University of Victoria on hand to engage children with hands-on activities.
There will be two lecture presentations on astronomy in the museum’s Newcombe Conference Hall, at 1 and 2 p.m.
All presentations, displays and workshops are free, but regular museum admission charges apply. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the museum, 675 Belleville St. For information, go to royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Victoria Centre and the National Research Council of Canada’s Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics will co-host evening activities at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory.
Centre of the Universe exhibits will be open and tours of the observatory will be given every half hour. The historic Plaskett Telescope will be open for tours, with society members setting up their personal telescopes for public viewing, weather permitting.
Astronomer Ivar Arroway will give a public lecture on the Kuiper Belt, found at the edge of our solar system, at 8 p.m.
This event marks the beginning of 2016 public events at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory.
Entry to the observatory is free, but tickets are required. The event runs from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., rain or shine at Observatory Hill, 5071 West Saanich Rd. For tickets, go to summerstarparties.eventbrite.ca. For information, go to victoria.rasc.ca.
Celebrate all things Scottish
Thrill to the sound of bagpipes, the spectacle of highland dancers and more at the Victoria Tartan Parade on Saturday.
The annual event takes place a week before the Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival, which runs from May 21 to 23.
The parade will start from Centennial Square at 11 a.m. and travel down Government Street to the lawn of the legislature. Pipe bands will play, the highland fling will be danced and the caber will be tossed by heavy-event athletes participating at the games.
The parade will consist of floats and members of a variety of local Scottish organizations and associated groups.
For more information, go to victoriahighlandgames.com.
Tapestries tell story of Scots
Christ Church Cathedral is hosting an exhibit of tapestries stitched by Scottish communities in Canada and 33 other countries around the world.
The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry Exhibition, from Friday to May 30, features more than 300 embroidered tapestry panels that tell the story of the determination, courage and achievement of Scottish migrants — and their descendants.
For the past six months, the exhibition has toured Australia and New Zealand. After Victoria, the travelling display continues east with stops in Winnipeg, Scarborough, Charlottetown, New Glasglow and finally Montreal in November.
The exhibition is free to view from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday, May 13 to 30 in the Chapel of the New Jerusalem of the cathedral, 930 Burdett Ave. For information, go to christchurchcathedral.bc.ca or scottishdiasporatapestry.org.
Walk and learn at Cedar Hill
The Friends of Cedar Hill Park are inviting Victorians to Walk a Little … Learn a Lot on Saturday.
The self-guided walk is an opportunity to take in the history and look to the future of the urban park.
Visitors can walk along the 3.6-kilometre perimeter trail and pause at any of 14 stops of interest set up for the event. At each station, walkers can learn more about the park and the region.
One booth, for example, will explain the Bowker Creek Urban Watershed Renewal Initiative, a restoration effort to improve the health of the highly urbanized watershed, which runs through Oak Bay, Victoria and Saanich. At a nearby station, you can see a model of the Bowker Creek watershed.
Chat with the people who manage the golf course and natural areas or attend an open house at the Saanich Volunteer Services Society’s station. Meet Roy and Colleen Shepherd, stewards of Kings Pond, at another station.
Tour maps are available at kiosks set up at the ball fields and at Kings Pond (located on Queensbury Avenue). Start the walking tour at any of the many entrances to the park or from the Cedar Hill Recreation Centre, 3220 Cedar Hill Rd.
The event is free. It runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Cedar Hill Park. For more information, go to friendsofcedarhillpark.com/parkwalk.html.
Oaklands garage sale, Braefoot barbecue
Two Victoria-area community associations are hosting events that enable neighbours to socialize and visitors to experience their hospitality.
Go for the deals and stay for the party at the Oaklands Community Association’s annual Neighbourhood Garage Sale and the inaugural Oaklands Street Party on Sunday.
The neighbourhood has had an annual garage sale for years, and this year is no different, with more than 50 households with items for sale. But this year, the event has been expanded into a family-friendly day of live music, free workshops and food trucks.
Garage sales begin around the neighbourhood at 9 a.m. and the street party kicks off at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. at 1441 Haultain St. (at Belmont Avenue).
Businesses along Haultain Street are joining the festival, including Koffi, Poppet Creative, The Local General Store and Thrive Studio.
The Capital Regional District Water Cart will be on hand to refill water bottles so people can stay hydrated.
People are encouraged to walk, ride their bikes or take public transit to the event, as parking will be limited on Haultain Street. The Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition will provide bike parking at its booth.
For information, go to oaklandscommunitycentre.com.
Meanwhile, the Braefoot Community Association is hosting a Family Fun Night Barbeque on Tuesday, with a by-donation evening of fun, food, games, activities, mascots and local vendors.
The association, a member of the community for 30 years, runs basketball and summer camps and has had a bursary fund for community-minded youth since 1989. It also supports Saanich lacrosse and Lakehill soccer.
Family Fun Night runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the park, Braefoot Road at McKenzie Avenue. Details at braefoot.ca.
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