A roundup of upcoming events, including the SaanichStrawberry Festival on Sunday at Beaver Lake Regional Park.
Strawberries — and vanilla ice cream, naturally — are on the menu at the Saanich Strawberry Festival, which celebrates its 58th year of operation Sunday at Beaver Lake Regional Park.
The festival runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., with servings of Mitchell’s Farm Market strawberries and Island Farms vanilla ice cream (or Cold Comfort Plain Jane vegan nice cream) available. Strawberries and ice cream can be purchased for $2 via cash or card (debit or credit) for as long as quantities last.
Reusable stainless steel metal bowls will be used this year, in an effort to reduce waste. Organizers are hoping to divert upwards of 4,000 paper cups from the compost during the free event.
The event also features nine food trucks and live music from The Soul Shakers, Slim Sandy’s Atomic Cocktails, Blasé Blasé, and the Commodores Big Band. Kids’ activities, bouncy castles, information booths, and arts and craft stations are also part of the festivities.
Parking will be limited, so attendees are asked to travel by bike or bus to the festival. The main parking lot is located at Beaver Beach, accessible via Elk Lake Drive near Haliburton Road. BC Transit buses servicing the event include routes 35, 72 and 75, while cyclists can make use of the free bike valet.
Shuttle buses will also be running continuously throughout the day, taking guests from Saanich Commonwealth Place to the overflow lot and main parking lot. Shuttles are free and will depart from the Commonwealth Pool starting at 11 a.m. The final shuttle trip will depart from Beaver Beach at 4:45 pm.
For more information, contact organizers via e-mail ([email protected]), phone (250-475-5558), or visitsaanich.ca.
A pop-up summer series at Langford Station continues Friday with food trucks, fresh local produce, a 12-tap craft beer truck and a performance by husband-and-wife acoustic duo An&Ben.
Produced by the Victoria Beer Society, with a farm-to-table food focus, Fridays at the Station runs each Friday through Aug. 22 from 4 p.m. until dusk. The free, family-friendly, and dog-friendly open-air series is a fixture of the Langford Station Arts and Cultural District, and has become extremely popular in recent years. Future editions of Fridays at the Station events include a Beach Bash theme party scheduled for July 25, and the Common Ground Festival set for Aug. 29.
For more details and updates, visitlangford.ca/events. Langford Station is located at 720 Station Ave.
The City of Colwood is hosting an invasive plants removal party Saturday at Colwood Creek Park.
Himalayan blackberries will be on the receiving end of this volunteer event, which runs from 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Colwood Creek Park is located on Brittany Drive, and is accessible by car and bus. Attendees are asked to meet the waterpark and playground shortly before 10 a.m. in order to register.
Gloves, tools, and safety glasses will be provided by co-organizer the Greater Victoria Green Team, and free snacks and refreshments will be served. Organizers can be reached through e-mail ([email protected]) or via the website,greenteamscanada.ca.
The sixth annual Esquimalt Urban Arts Tour takes place Saturday and includes 27 properties throughout the township, with dozens of local artists and gardeners participating.
The free one-day self-guided tour includes the opportunity to meet the artists and greenthumbs at all locations, which are accessible by foot, bike, bus and car. Artwork will be available for purchase.
The event runs from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Further details, including a map of the participating properties, can be found attownshiparts.org/urban-arts-tour.
An orchestra led by conductor David Stewart will perform a free concert Sunday in Sooke.
The Sooke Philharmonic Fling runs from 2:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. at Ed Macgregor Park. The Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra will be joined at the concert by conductor Mike Klazek, violinist Hollas Longton, and oboist Jackie Kereluk, oboe, as well as a piece for three trombones and a tuba. The orchestra will perform
The open-air concert features a mix of pops and classics, from Richard Strauss to Leroy Anderson. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Audience members are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets There will also be a concession run by the Rotary Club of Sooke. If it’s raining, the concert will be moved to the Sooke Community Hall on Shields Road.
For more information, visitsookephil.ca.
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