Victoria Ska Festival
Starting Wednesday, Victoria celebrates its 12th Ska Festival with five days of wild, engaging concerts and workshops where tens of thousands of music fans will be entertained, educated, and united under one sky. As the largest festival of its kind in North America, Victoria Ska Fest showcases the world’s best reggae, ska, punk, rocksteady, caribbean rhythms and world beats. Don’t miss the FREE Afternoon Appetizer Show Saturday July 9 at 1:30 in Market square, featuring Honeyboy Carencro’s bluesy soulful sound from New Orleans, Mobadass’ mixups of electro and reggae and from Montreal, The Fundamentals with the perfect combination of horns and organ! This years highlight will be the Saturday night performance (doors at 8pm) in Market Square by Bob Marley’s son, Ky-Mani Marley, who seamlessly blends reggae and hip-hop. For more information check out www.victoriaskafest.ca
Festival MEXICANO July 8 – 10
Bring your dancing shoes and zest for the Mexican culture as this festival kicks off Friday July 8th at the Victoria Event Centre with live music and beginner salsa dance lessons at 8pm ($12 tickets at the door). Just follow your senses to Centennial Square both Saturday and Sunday from noon-5pm. With traditional Mexican food, music and dance you’ll be planning guacamole for dinner all week long!
Pride Parade July 10 noon
Victoria Pride Events
Keep your eyes and ears open for the Pride Parade which starts at the corner of Government and Pandora with bands, colourful floats and displays. Follow the parade to MacDonald Park where the Pride Festival begins. Festival go-ers can enjoy the beer gardens, taste local food from 100+ vendors or participate in the 50ft long obstacle course hosted in the Kids Camp.
For more information or to volunteer visit http://www.victoriapridesociety.org/index.html
Harbour Market
Last weekends Night Market was hustling and bustling as the sun went down. Hundreds of people were browsing the local arts and crafts and buying vibrant local produce. This season, close to 40 vendors will be selling their wares on the pier that stretches out into the Inner Harbour.
Ship Point’s Night Market is a staple of Victoria summer evenings. A few steps from the streets of downtown, the market showcases original art created and sold by the artists themselves. Musicians will also be performing, everything from classical to rock, in an acoustic setting.
The Night Market runs from June 10 until September 17, 2011. Its wide array of music, artwork and crafts can be found at Ship Point every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m
Harbour Ferry Ballet
Victoria Harbour Ferry continues the tradition of performing its world famous “Water Ballet”. Every Sunday morning at 10:45 am from Victoria Day to Labour Day, five little harbour ferries perform a synchronized ballet to the music of the Blue Danube Waltz. The Ballet Captains have completed over 300 performances of the water ballet and each one has been viewed by locals and tourists from all over the world. The performance is FREE and can be viewed from the Causeway on Government Street across from the Empress Hotel.
A Delightful Message
Another delightful day and a walk with 88 year old Kathleen Robertson
down to the Gorge and yet another fine Skipper who slowed and tooted his
horn and waved and made Kathleen smile, ever so much