Annual Events in November
Navy Ships Christmas Lights
Navy Ships Lighting Contest at CFB Esquimalt is an annual event supporting the Mustard Seed Food Bank. Access to view the colourfully lit displays on the ships and buildings at CFB Esquimalt is by bus at the gates. Admission is a food item or cash donation to the Mustard Food Bank and they will be on-site throughout the contest collecting donations. Visitors can vote for their favourite ship.This event is firmly entrenched as a Victoria tradition and is an important link to the Greater Victoria Community particularly for those who depend on the Mustard Seed Food Bank. Considerable challenges due to security reasons have not dampened Victorians great generosity who have been visiting the Dockyard during the holidays with a donation to the Mustard Seed, and voting for their favorite display since 1987. CFB Esquimalt is grateful to the local business sponsors for their monetary support of the event and to the media sponsors for keeping the public informed about the display
Salmon Run
Goldstream Park about 12 minutes north along and just off of Hwy. #1 from Birds of a Feather B&B has a world-class salmon spawning stream with tens of thousands of Chum salmon returning each year.
In Goldstream, salmon appear late October just as soon as 4 to 6 good solid days of rain have elevated the river water levels. This event may be seen for about nine weeks, the dates varying from year to year. Of the five kinds of North American Pacific salmon it is the Chum salmon that is most abundant in this river, though you may also see some Coho and Chinook salmon, as well as the Steelhead and the Cutthroat trout.
Over the past few years the salmon run at Goldstream has reached its peak in mid-November, with an average of 30,000 fish total each year. This also attracts eagles, gulls, ducks, and sometimes bears.
In 2007 the numbers were Chum: 22,695 | Coho: 141 | Chinook: 2
Festival of Trees
Every year, the Festival of Trees transforms The Fairmont Empress into a lush forest of beautifully decorated trees to raise funds for BC Children’s Hospital. As sponsors of this event, local businesses, organizations and individuals decorate the trees - in a sometimes wacky, often irreverent and always beautiful fashion. The trees are then displayed throughout The Fairmont Empress over the holiday season, beginning mid-November and then wrapping up during the first week of January.
The Festival of Trees was created to help raise funds in support of BC Children's Hospital, the only pediatric health care facility for children in the province. Children's Hospital sees more than 2,500 patients from Vancouver Island every year. Supporters of the Festival of Trees have helped thousands of children who have benefited through research, educational programs and the purchase of vital life saving equipment.
Ladysmith Festival of Lights
If you do one thing to ring in the Christmas season this, or any year treat yourself to the opening of the light up celebrations in Ladysmith. This fun event brings friends and family together from all over Vancouver Island and beyond. The parade is awesome, the lights are amazing and the fireworks - they just go on and on forever - are among the best we’ve ever experienced. Everytime we were about to clap thinking we had seen the grand finale they started up al over again. WOW! This is one of our personal favourites and highly recommend it. - Dieter and Ashley
Since 1987 the Christmas Light Festival in beautiful Historic Downtown Ladysmith has become a major attraction bringing visitors (20,000+) from all over Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, Pacific Northwest and points beyond.
Over 250,000 twinkling Christmas lights line the streets, roof tops and buildings from the last Thursday in November through to the first Sunday in January each year.
On the last Thursday of November each year when the lights are actually turned on for the holiday season there is a Kinsmen Parade starting at 6:45 pm followed by entertainment, concessions, a visit from Santa, and souvenirs.
Parade Route (6:45 pm): Line up along First Avenue (south of the Credit Union) facing north. Proceed along First Avenue to Symonds Street (49th Parallel Grocery) and then proceed across the Island Highway to disbure.
Immediately following the parade will be the Light-Up of Bob Stuart Park and the Big Tree at Aggie Field.
Budget of $80,000 buys quarter million colourful light bulbs
By Darrell Bellaart, The Daily News
November 26, 2009
More than 250,000 light bulbs will light up the night tonight as the 22nd Ladysmith Festival of Lights officially gets underway.
Thousands of people will fill the downtown streets to watch Santa pulls the switch to send a surge of electricity through the town.
The event, put on by the Ladysmith Festival of Lights Society, is operating on an $80,000 budget this year. With two full-time staff members, a co-ordinator, a volunteer secretary, labourers and teams of volunteers it takes more than 1,000 hours to pull off. The festival has grown in size and scope since its beginnings and no one knows exactly how many bulbs are now strung out on buildings, through trees, along rooftops, around lamp standards and across the town’s main street.
"There’s over a quarter million, in all directions," said Coun. Duck Paterson.
That number is an estimate. Every attempt to count the lights so far has failed.
This year, most of the lights were strung in a single day in October, just before the Olympic Torch Relay. Normally they work is done the second week of November.
The event draws people from as far north as Port Hardy and from as far south as Seattle. This year, 13 busloads of visitors are coming to witness the town light up.
"Some come for the night, some make a weekend of it," said Paterson. It’s honestly become a lot more than we’ve imagined it to be. It’s huge."
It starts with a traditional, community spaghetti dinner Thursday at 3 p.m. at Eagles Hall and a Christmas craft fair at Aggie Hall.
Street entertainers and food concessions come out at 4 p.m., followed by live entertainment at the stage in front of Aggie Hall. Santa arrives to pull the switch at 6:30 p.m. and then the Kinsmen parade will go down First Avenue.
The event is fun for the family but parking can be tight, particularly downtown. First Avenue will be closed to traffic from 3 p.m. on, so drivers are encouraged to park and catch a free shuttle bus from either Transfer Beach or the Bethel Tabernacle or Catholic Church on Fourth Avenue, accessible by turning right at Grouhel Road, for drivers coming from Nanaimo.
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
Great Ladies of Jazz
Four extraordinary diva’s…..One incredible night
November 27, 2009 - 8:00 PM - Alix Goolden Hall
Tickets available at the Royal & McPherson Box Office
1.250.386.6121 / 1.888.717.6121 or online www.rmts.bc.ca
Starring
- MARIA MANNA
- MIRANDA SAGE
- MAUREEN WASHINGTON
- MELINDA WHITAKER
with THE GREAT LADIES OF JAZZ BAND
Produced By: Anthony Edgington
Sidney Lighted Sailpast Boat Parade
The NIIGHTLIIGHTS & NUTMEG Place to Be
Craft shows, parades, sailpast – experience the holiday magic Sidney sparkles with Christmas excitement! Ushering in the festive season with special events and celebrations. Santa starts off the day with a delicious pancake breakfast, hosted by the Kiwanis Club at the SHOAL Centre, 10030 Resthaven Drive. Breakfast runs from 9 a.m. ‘til 11 a.m., and each year up to 150 children enjoy hot pancakes while waiting for the special guest. When Santa drops in, he never forgets to brings treats with him! At 5 p.m. the family-favourite Sidney Sparkles Santa Parade starts off from the Best Western Emerald Isle Motor Inn. Led by Sidney’s official Town Crier, Kenny Podmore, the parade travels down Beacon Ave., turning right and following Second St. to Ocean. Watch the festively-lit floats and vehicles, cheer on the bands, and be sure to wave to Santa! Bring a donation for the foodbank, and don’t forget your letter to Santa. At the waterfront, the new green space has room for everyone to watch the enchanting Sidney Sparkles Lighted Sailpast. Starting at 6:00 p.m., a parade of beautifully decorated, lighted boats glide past. Kenny Podmore will provide live commentary over a PA system as the 40 glittering boats pass by. There will be warm drinks provided by Sidney-by-the-Sea’s Rotary Club to chase away the chill, and glowsticks for the kids.This is just the beginning of a wonderful season of festivities, concerts and shows in Sidney. There’s Christmas craft shows for handmade gifts, the always-popular Teddy Bear Christmas at the Sidney Historical Museum, and picturesque ‘ Christmas in the Village’ at Heritage Acres where groups compete to decorate the historic buildings and vehicles. Mary Winspear Centre has an incredible line-up of plays, musicals and concerts, such as the Peninsula Singer’s Spirit of Christmas concert, Stelly’s High School’s Once Upon a Mattress, The Nutcracker, and Scrooge - the Musical. And don’t forget to vote for your favourite decorated tree at the Christmas Tree Festival in the Mary Winspear Centre.
Victoria Inner Harbour Floating Boat Show
Visit over 150 boats on display as well as many booth exhibits with marine related products ranging from: electronics, sounders, radios, insurance companies, financial institutions, clothing gear, diving gear, dinghy’s and much, much more!
This is the largest floating show in Canada. Not to be missed!
