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Explore: Cadboro Bay Festival, Perseid meteor shower, Littlest Air Show

Enjoy a family-friendly day at the beach at the Cadboro Bay Festival, complete with sand sculpting, hands-on activities, inflatable amusements, information displays, arts and craft stations, food and fun, Sunday at Gyro Park in Cadboro Bay.
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Gyro Park is hosting the Cadboro Bay Festival on Sunday.

Enjoy a family-friendly day at the beach at the Cadboro Bay Festival, complete with sand sculpting, hands-on activities, inflatable amusements, information displays, arts and craft stations, food and fun, Sunday at Gyro Park in Cadboro Bay.

Local artist and sculptor Fred Dobbs and his team of three will again put their talents into creating a giant work of art using just sand, water and a whole lot of imagination to fashion a nautical-themed creation.

While he will put on the finishing touches to the sculpture on Sunday, people can drop by on Saturday to watch Dobbs and his crew carve most of the piece.

On the day of the festival, visitors will be entertained by three local bands performing on stage throughout the afternoon — Freeze Frame (1980s cover tunes), Tropic Mayhem (Beach Boys) and Younger Than Yesterday (Beatles, 1960s hits).

The young and the young at heart can also amuse themselves with face-painting, arts and craft stations and several inflatable activities, including hamster-ball races, bumper-ball soccer and a bouncy castle.

Food vendors will be on hand to feed the hungry masses. Concessions include Judy’s Snack Shack, the Rotary Club, the Lions Club, Mini Donuts, Mama Rosies, Greek on the Street, Lemon Heaven and Softies Ice Cream.

The event typically attracts up to 4,000 visitors, so parking at Gyro Park will likely fill up quickly.

The large grass area inside the park will be open for additional parking. This year, the only entrance to this parking area will be off Cadboro Bay Road, with no vehicle access from Penrhyn Street.

A free shuttle bus will run from the lower section of Lot 5 at the University of Victoria to the main entrance of Gyro Park, from noon until 4 p.m.

Admission to the festival is free.

It runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Gyro Park, off Sinclair Road in Cadboro Bay. Bring cash for food purchases. There will not be an ATM inside the park — your closest option is at Pepper’s Foods.

Meteor shower’s show is out of this world

Take in one of Mother Nature’s finest light shows this week as the annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak and lights up the night sky Saturday to Monday.

The show takes place every summer when Earth passes through the trail of dust and debris left in the orbit of Comet Swift-Tuttle.

This year’s show will be particularly spectacular because the moon will set early, leaving a dark canvas to show off the comet’s streaks and fireballs. Expect to see 60 to 70 meteors per hour at its peak.

This year, the free light show reaches its peak between Saturday and Monday. The show can be viewed from anywhere on Vancouver Island. Just spread a blanket on the ground and peer into the sky.

You can escape the city lights and join Parks Canada staff and members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada at Star Gaze at Fort Rodd Hill, in the Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard National Historic Site on Friday. You can peer through large telescopes, attend special presentations, participate in hands-on activities and learn about night photography.

The event is free and starts at 8 p.m. Friday at the National Historic Site, 603 Fort Rodd Hill Rd., Colwood. For more information, go to fortroddhill.com.

The Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory will be hosting a Saturday Star Party at the observatory from 7:15 to 10:45 p.m. Saturday.

This week’s event is a telescope clinic with local members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. You are invited to bring any astronomical equipment that you have problems with — often, it just needs some TLC to get it working again.

The clinic runs 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. at the observatory, 5071 West Saanich Rd. For information, go to victoria.rasc.ca/saturday-star-parties-dao-2018.

Dragon boaters ready to race

Take in all the excitement at the Canada Dry Victoria Dragon Boat Festival, a three-day racing regatta and the only dragon boat festival in Canada to take place in a working harbour, from Friday to Sunday.

Local and visiting teams will dip their oars in the Inner Harbour watched by up to 80,000 spectators.

The event, in its 24rd year, is Victoria’s largest Asian cultural festival and is a fundraiser for the B.C. Cancer Foundation.

Proceeds come from team registration fees and related initiatives, including the Lights of Courage Campaign and the Paddlers’ Pledge Program.

Teams are either co-ed or all-women, and compete in various categories.

Along with the races, there will be live bands on all three days, a food court and lots of activities for families.

The event is free to watch. Activities start with the Awakening of the Dragon ceremony at 1 p.m. on Friday.

Races take place all day Saturday and Sunday.

The festival site is open from 2 to 9 p.m. on Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

All activities take place from Ship Point in Victoria’s Inner Harbour.

For more information, go to victoriadragonboat.com.

Indian culture and food served up in the square

Experience the splendour of Indian art and culture at India Mela, a two-day celebration that highlights the rich, colourful and diverse cultures of both India and Canada, Saturday and Sunday in Centennial Square.

This is the ninth year of the annual family-friendly event, hosted by the India Canada Cultural Association, which attempts to bridge cultures, generations and celebrate communities.

You can enjoy performances of bhangra (dynamic Punjabi folk dance), dandia/garba (an ancient dance of harmony), and Bollywood and classical music and dance.

There will also be exhibits and a kids’ corner.

Food booths will be serving authentic Indian cuisine prepared in the traditional way at booths representing the many parts of India.

The event is free to attend. It runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday in Centennial Square. For more information, go to iccavictoria.com.

Pilots display skills at Largest Little Airshow

Expect to be dazzled by the skills of radio-controller pilots as they put their scale and giant-scale model planes through their paces at Victoria’s Largest Little Airshow, at Michell Airpark on the Saanich Peninsula on Saturday and Sunday.

Every summer, more than 30 pilots from all over the province and the U.S. come to Victoria with their First and Second World War aircraft, 3-D aerobatics planes and helicopters, and turbine jets.

While many planes will take to the sky, others will be on static display, so visitors can see the miniature planes (some much larger than others) up close.

Visitors are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and spend the day.

There will be activities for children and a concession on site.

Although the event is free to attend, donations are accepted.

The past 16 airshows have raised more than $289,000 for local charities. Proceeds from this year’s show will be donated to CFAX Santas Anonymous.

The show runs from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Michell Airpark on Lochside Drive (off the Pat Bay Highway between Martindale Road and Island View Road). There is free parking and bike racks.

For more details, go to facebook.com/VictoriasLargestLittleAirshow.

Work of more than 40 artists on show at Bowker Creek

Spend a day strolling along Oak Bay’s Bowker Creek, admiring art, listening to music and enjoying refreshments at the Bowker Creek Brush Up Art Show and Sale on Sunday.

At this community art show, part of the fourth annual Oak Bay Arts and Culture Fortnight, you can admire the works of more than 40 artists, displayed alongside the creek.

Members of the Oak Bay Community Artists Society, along with local and international guest artists, will be demonstrating their craft in a festive atmosphere.

More than 2,000 people are expected to attend to view art and interact with artists.

There will also be music, refreshments and a children’s art activity booth.

Viewing is free. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. along Bowker Creek, between Oak Bay High School and Hampshire Road. For more information, go to oakbayartists.com.