Learn more about the history of the Rock Bay neighbourhood and the creek that bears its name on Saturday:
• Residential Remains: A Walking Tour of Rock Bay begins at Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens, 2616 Pleasant St.
The 45-minute guided tour will take you back to the 1860s, when the area contained semi-rural and upper-class estates.
Point Ellice House is one of the neighbourhood’s few early homes that is still standing.
Join Dr. Patrick Dunae as he discusses the history of Rock Bay and locate the neighbourhood’s remaining heritage buildings, as well as the sites of those that vanished long ago.
The walking tour costs $16, which includes admission to Point Ellice House, and runs from 11:15 a.m. to noon. For more information, go to Eventbrite.
• Rock Bay Creek Revival is a community watershed celebration marking World Rivers Day, Saturday at Alexander Park.
Enjoy music performed by Anne Schaefer, Aidan Knight and others.
There will be poetry, puppets and refreshments at a family-friendly event that celebrates water. Learn the history of Rock Bay Creek, a Coho-bearing stream before human contact.
A 3-D watershed model will also be on display.
The event is free to attend. It runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at Alexander Park, 1333 Walnut St. For more information, go to Facebook.
Be Fun, Fierce or Face-Off in Urbacity Challenge
Watch out for teams of two and four racing around heritage buildings and boutiques in downtown Victoria on Sunday as they compete in Urbacity Challenge, a lighthearted adventure race for charity.
The event is a fundraiser for the Island Prostate Centre.
The urban adventure usually attracts close to 200 participants competing in a free-form challenge. There is a goal, but no set course. Each team decides its own route and how to complete challenges along the way.
No one knows what the challenges will be ahead of time, and time is limited, so racers have to be both fast on their feet and quick-thinking.
Challenges can include paddleboarding, juggling, poster design, riding a Segway, human wheelbarrow races and more.
There are three categories participants can enter: Fun, which would appeal to casual racers of all ages; Fierce, for those ready to pound the pavement and Face-Off, which is geared toward challenges that demand teamwork to succeed.
Registration is $125 for the Fun and Fierce categories (teams of two) and $700 for the Face-Off (with teams of four). All teams are also expected to fundraise.
The race kicks off at 10:15 a.m. Sunday at the Victoria Conference Centre Crystal Garden and participants have a maximum of four hours to complete the course.
Proceeds from the event go to The Prostate Centre, which provides prostate cancer screening, outreach, counselling, information and care for men and their families.
For more information, go to urbacitychallenge.ca or islandprostatecentre.com.
300 wines featured at Victoria festival
Be part of the largest wine-tasting event in Victoria — sampling more than 300 wines from 13 countries — at the Victoria International Wine Festival, Friday and Saturday at the Parkside Hotel and Spa.
The festival is dedicated to building the knowledge of the typical wine consumer and introducing new wines to enthusiasts.
This year, the show’s featured region is Argentina. The country has become one of the main wine exporting countries by combining terroirs (which defines the specifics of a wine’s growing conditions, such as the soil, climate and region) of great diversity with classic and indigenous grape varieties, mixing tried-and-true traditions with cutting-edge technology and modern techniques.
Wine samples range from one to two ounces. Small bites of food will be available, but this is not a food and wine festival.
The event’s main tasting session is $85 and runs for two and a half hours.
Sessions start at 7 p.m. Friday and 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday. Seminars (one-hour long) are $40 and run at 5:30 p.m. Friday and 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. Saturday. All attendees must be over 19.
Parkside Hotel and Spa is at 810 Humboldt St.
For more information, go to vicwf.com.
UVic hosts performance art from Japan
Experience an evening of Noh theatre, the oldest surviving form of classical Japanese theatrical art, performed since the 14th century, tonight at the Phillip T. Young Recital Hall at the University of Victoria.
Noh theatre is an intimate glimpse into one of the world’s major performing arts traditions, which uses a combination of music, dance and acting to communicate emotions and Buddhist themes.
Tonight’s classical musical drama will be performed by Hisa Uzawa and her daughter, Hikaru.
Hisa Uzawa is a member of the Tessenkai branch of the Kanze School of Noh theatre in Tokyo and one of the first women to act as a lead performer in a traditional Noh lineage. She has been designated as a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government.
At tonight’s performance, the pair will introduce the dynamics and techniques of the 650-year tradition that lies at the heart of the Noh theatre.
They will perform climactic dance sequences and present behind-the-scenes details of chanting, choreography, elaborate costumes and masks.
Admission is by donation (suggested $15 general, $10 student). Doors open at 7, with the presentation from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The event has open seating.
Parking costs $3 from 6 p.m. midnight. The closest parking can be found at Parking Lot E, followed by Parking Lot 6.
Please do not bring young children who may disrupt the performance.
For more information, go to events.uvic.ca/capi/view/event/ event_id/44521.
Pick up the rhythms of African drumming
Explore the ancient art of Central and West African drumming at several workshops during African Drumming Week, Sunday to Sept. 29 at 2524 Bridge St.
You can join workshops that cover contemporary and traditional African polyrhythms and signature techniques from drumming master Adama Bilorou. The classes are suitable for hobbyists and professionals alike, featuring beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.
You will learn the history and power of the djembe drum, the balafon (African xylophone), dun-dun (bass drum) and the n’goni-cora (which translates as “gather together in peace”).
You can bring your own instruments or rent some for the class.
The workshops cost $40 to $70 and begin on Sunday at 2524 Bridge St. and 411 Gorge Rd. East. For tickets, go to Eventbrite.
For more information, go to vaccsociety.blogspot.com/2019/07/african-drumming-week.html.
Swim or skate in Panorama programs
Take the kids for a fun-filled day of swimming and/or skating as the Panorama Recreation Centre features $2 Pro-D day programs on Monday. Bring your family and friends for skating fun, music, games and prizes from 1 to 2:30 p.m. (helmets available to borrow, free of charge)
Or you can choose a two-hour fun swimming program, also including music, games and prizes, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Both programs are $2 each and free for children under six. The recreation centre is at 1885 Forest Park Dr., North Saanich. For details, go to crd.bc.ca/panorama.
Cycling tour builds appreciation of trees
Hop on your bike and learn how trees and tree canopies help our cities to survive and thrive at a Tree Cycling Tour through Victoria and Oak Bay on Sunday.
You’ll be joining arborists, educators and cycling enthusiasts. The event is organized by the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition, in collaboration with the Community Trees Matter Network, City of Victoria Parks and District of Oak Bay Parks.
You can choose between two tours — an eight or a 15-kilometre ride — guided by municipal arborists through Victoria and Oak Bay.
The arborists will focus on a wide variety of topics related to the trees in our urban forest.
Along the way, you will learn about significant and interesting trees, their history, age, size, name, if they are native or non-native and information about their growth and contribution to mitigating climate change.
The event is by donation (accepted before the start of the ride). Registration is required.
The 15-kilometre tour departs at 10 and the eight-kilometre tour departs at 10:30 a.m. from the putting green (across from the petting zoo) at Beacon Hill Park. Both rides end at noon.
To register, go to eventbrite.ca/e/tree-bike-tour-tickets-71328630855.
For more information, go to gvcc.bc.ca.
.png;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
