Victoria 
What’s on in Victoria this weekend: Events and activities in and around Victoria including free fun family activities, festivals, live music, theatre and sports events.
**Turn the clocks back by 1 hour as Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday, November 1, 2 a.m. E.T**
Weekend Events & Festivals: Friday, October 30 to Sunday, November 1, 2020
I. Halloween Events
Community Pumpkin Patch
Bats and funny faces will be flickering on front porches soon, but it’s time for your creative pumpkin designs to get the attention they deserve! We invite you to bring your pre-carved pumpkins to the Sidney Visitor Centre (between October 22 – 23) to have them displayed at Sidney’s Community Pumpkin Patch sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Sidney and the Saanich Peninsula. Details
October 23 – 31, 2020
Outside of Barbara’s Boutique and the Sidney Visitor Centre, 2281 Beacon Avenue
Located just across from the Mary Winspear Centre
Free
Halloween Under the Sea
Don a costume when you visit the Centre from October 25 to November 1 and receive 10% off the price of one-day admission! Were-wolf eels, full-moon jellies, skeleton shrimp, blood stars, bat stars, and a few surprises await. Details
October 25 – November 1, 2020
Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea, 9811 Seaport Place, Sidney
Regular admission
Jack-O’Lantern Hunt
Families are invited to safely visit the Sidney Museum from October 24 to November 1 to take part in a “Jack-O’-Lantern Hunt” for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Buddies Toys! Participants will also receive pre-packaged candy for finishing the hunt and can expect to see festive window displays and Halloween history text up in the Sidney Museum as well. Details
October 24 – November 1, 2020
October 26 – 27 | Closed
The Sidney Museum, 2423 Beacon Avenue, L-3, Sidney
Admission by Donation
Spooktacular Displays
Visitors can expect a dazzling “Jack-O’-Lantern” display of lights in downtown Sidney and pumpkins at the Sidney Pier, plus festive window displays by Sidney businesses and residents. The artists at ArtSea Gallery will also have their creative talents on display, along with beautiful lights throughout the town installed by the Town of Sidney and “Pumpkins at the Pier” courtesy of Ocean View Estates. Details
October 23 – 31, 2020
Downtown Sidney
Free
Trick-Or-Treat in Cook Street
An all-day, social distanced, Trick, or Treating Event! Come down in your favorite costume and get some candy from our Halloween COVID Candy Chute! Details
Saturday, October 31, 2020 | 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Cook Street Village Activity Centre, 380 Cook St, Victoria
Free
Ghostly Walks for Halloween
The team that conducts Victoria’s popular Ghostly Walks tours throughout the year has created a special haunted tour for Halloween. Discover why Victoria is the most haunted city in the Pacific Northwest on a 90-minute walk through the dark and spooky streets, alleys and courtyards of Old Town and Chinatown. Hear tales of murders, hangings, strange events, and ghosts. Details
October 9 – November 1, 2020 | 6:30, 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30 PM
From the archway entrance to Market Square, 560 Johnson Street, Victoria
Adults $20, Students and Seniors $15, Children (6-11) $10
Carnevil
Carnevil is Victoria’s most amazing 6,000 square foot Haunted House of terror (PG13). Three Chicken Exits for the Faint of Heart…… Enter if you dare!! Details
October 15 – 31, 2020 | Timed tickets 7 PM to 10 PM
Galey Farms Corn Maze, Market & Railway, 4150 Blenkinsop Road, Victoria
$15
Dracula
Read by the best of Blue Bridge Theatre’s acting ensemble. Be sure to catch both performances to experience all eight chapters. Details
October 29 – 31, 2020
In-person and Online
The Roxy Theatre, 2657 Quadra St, Victoria
$15
Drag Bingo at The Mint Halloween Edition
Join Woofie and Justine for a Halloween Bingo Extravaganza! Dress up and have your chance at winning a CASH prize! Details
Friday, October 30, 2020 | 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
The Mint Restaurant, 1414 Douglas Street, Victoria
$22.23 – $54.06
Family & Kids Activities
October Family Fun at Galey Farms
Get Lost! then find your fun in Canada’s leading 2 Hectare Corn Maze! Galey Farms has cut it’s Corn Maze paths 4 meters wide to keep our staff and visitors safe due to Covid 19 protocols.
Wind your way along the paths that lead to exciting exhibits and surprises! Fully animated Ghost Town and Haunted Mansion. You and your family will have hours of a-mazing fun! Details
October Family Fun (Daytime) | Saturdays & Sundays, October 3 – 31 | 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM
October Family Fun Nights | October 15-18, 22-31 | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Galey Farms Corn Maze, Market & Railway, 4150 Blenkinsop Road, Victoria
Adult $20, Children (Ages 2 – 12) $15Family $55, Children under 2 Free.
Fun Things to Do with Kids in Victoria
Victoria offers a wide variety of sites, restaurants, and incredible activities to enjoy. Indulge in outdoor activities or indoor fun, with the guarantee that no matter what you choose – there is something for every child to delight in. Details
Family Getaways in BC
The dynamic landscape of beautiful British Columbia makes it the perfect spot for the perfect family trip. Whether your family enjoys exploring the mountain ranges, big cities or beach front destinations, BC has something for every family, young and old. Build memories exploring the numerous west coast destinations that BC has to offer. Details
Immersive Treasure Hunt
Step beyond the headset and into Vancouver Island’s first ever immersion experience! This All Hallows Eve, the tick tick tick of the Timekeepers clock will come to a grinding halt, threatening the balance of space, time, and most crucially, clocks. Assist the Timekeeper in a treasure hunt across the town of Sidney to restore balance across the realms before the end of Hallowe’en night! Join us on October 30th and 31st in a race against time, and for time, itself. Details
October 30 – 31, 2020 | 4:00 PM & 7:00 PM &
Sidney Pier Hotel, 9805 Seaport Pl, Sidney
$20.00-$55.00
IMAX MOVIES
Watch Imax Movies. Details
IMAX Victoria 675 Belleville Street, Victoria
$5.40 to $11.95
Live Music & Concerts this Weekend
The Pretzel Logic Orchestra
This will be the last chance to see us this year and who knows when we are able to get together again. We are always grateful for the opportunity to play the amazing songs of Steely Dan. “Peg”, “My Old School”, “FM”, “Black Cow”, “Reeling in the Years” are some of the songs we will play Halloween night. Will it be scary? Nope, but fun, yes! Details
Saturday, October 31, 2020 | 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Online and In-person
Hermann’s Jazz Club, 753 View Street, Victoria
Online: Donation; In-person: $25
Daniel Okulitch & Lara Secord-Haid
Join us for an evening of musical programming from Schubert to modern song masters. Daniel and Lara have carefully crafted a performance to be remembered, with songs personally meaningful to them, especially to share live with you at our first recital series of the ReImagined Season.
Enjoy moments drawn from the world of pop and rock complemented by works from Osvaldo Golijov, Carlos Guastavino, André Previn, Maurice Ravel and Mordechai Zeira. Details
October 29 – November 1, 2020 | 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Live-stream | Friday, October 30
Online and In-person
Baumann Centre – Wingate Studio, 925 Balmoral Rd, Victoria
Adults $35, Students / 30 & Younger $15
Chad Brownlee
A modest and humble Canadian country music artist from British Columbia, Chad Brownlee has drive and motivation like no other.
The ruggedly charming country singer’s raw talent mixed with heartbreak inspires his pop, country and rock sound. His polished and infectious music leaves his past behind with an honest and deep-rooted authenticity while the sincerity of his songwriting is captivatingly grounded in the discomfort and distress of certain endings and specific goodbyes. Details
October 29 – November 1, 2020 | 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Mary Winspear Centre, 2243 Beacon Avenue, Sidney
$68.25
Canus & Friends
Keeping the New Orleans Traditional Jazz and early Swing flame burning…..while keeping your feet tapping and your soul replenished. These are musicians who share your love of this era of music loved by Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington to name only a few, tunes you will recognize with a rhythm to feel, strong and true. Details
Sunday, November 1, 2020 | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Online and In-person
Hermann’s Jazz Club, 753 View Street, Victoria
Online: Donation; In-person: $15
Jon Miller Quartet
An evening of organ-jazz in the vein of Jimmy Smith, Larry Goldings and Jack McDuff. For this evening’s in person and live-streamed performance, the group will be unveiling new repertoire along with past favourites (including Irvin Berlin’s Puttin’ on the Ritz) and least one selection chosen for Dia de los Muertos which starts at midnight on Nov. 1st. Details
Sunday, November 1, 2020 | 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Online and In-person
Hermann’s Jazz Club, 753 View Street, Victoria
Online: Donation; In-person: $20
Live Theatre this Weekend
Halloween Murder Mystery
There has been a murder, but who did it? Join our British detective as we, the audience, help him solve the mystery. Details
Friday, October 30, 2020 | 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Online and In-person
Cook Street Village Activity Centre, 380 Cook St, Victoria
Members $8, General $10
The HEART COFFER
The Heart Coffer examines the heart, material and ethereal, through the eyes of Tim Gosley, the grandfather of Canadian puppetry, a boomer puppeteer. It is an esoteric variety show with a lot of heart and many styles of puppetry: muppet-style, video projected, laser shadowed, object manipulated and there are even puppets made from oyster shells. The show has a musical weave from fellow boomers, Douglas Henley, (sitar, tar, guitar, electric bass and lute,) and Niel Golden, (tabla, cajón, and hang.) We are miners for a heart of gold. Details
October 29 – November 1, 2020
Online recording on October 31 | 2:00 PM
Online and In-person
Paul Phillips Hall, 1923 Fernwood Road
Suggested Donation $20
Shanna Dance Quartet
Shanna Dance, Victoria’s own vocal gem, has a rare and profound ability to instantly capture and embrace an audience. Covering genres from straight jazz standards to deep soulful R&B music she takes her audience on an exciting and enriching musical journey. Having been compared to singers such as Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone, and even Etta James, Shanna will amaze you with her moving vocal passion. Details
Friday, October 30, 2020 | 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Online and In-person
Hermann’s Jazz Club, 753 View Street, Victoria
Online: Donation; In-person: $20
NO CHILD…
For these overlooked Teens, Theatre is an expression of hope. Details
September 24–November 8, 2020
Online
$19- $59
Drive-in Movies
Drive-in movie nights at the Mary Winspear Centre on October 29, 30 and 31, with two showings each evening! This community event is completely FREE, but there will be limited to 50-cars per showtime, so you must reserve your spot ahead of time through SidneyBIA.ca. Details
October 29 – 31 2020
Hotel Transylvania | 6:45 PM (arrival time 6 PM)
Ghostbusters | 9:15 PM (arrival time 8:30 PM)
Mary Winspear Centre, 2243 Beacon Avenue, Sidney
Free
Festivals & Other Events
Victoria International Wine Festival 2020
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada is a city surrounded by natural beauty, blessed with a Mediterranean climate, coloured with gardens, and home to lively food and wine scene. For the past six years, the sought after Victoria International Wine Festival hosts a collection of the best in international wine each September. The Victoria International Wine Festival is directed at building the knowledge of the average wine consumer, and demonstrating new wines, and acknowledging beloved wine standards to veteran consumers. Details
November 1 – 8, 2020
The Parkside Hotel & Spa, 810 Humboldt Street, Victoria
$41.92
Peering into the Past: Celebrating Canada’s Oldest Chinatown
Canada’s oldest Chinatown, located in Victoria, played a key role in shaping Canadian history. This pop-up exhibit offers a glimpse into local history. Details
Through March 2021
Royal BC Museum, 675 Belleville Street, Victoria
Regular admission; Timed tickets available in advance
Snapshots of Canada
Exploring unforgettable moments in our history, the travelling exhibition Snapshots of Canada pairs compelling images with texts by well-known authors, journalists and historians. Images ranging from high drama to simple joy are tangible reminders of the triumphs, failures, and sacrifices that have shaped our country. Details
Through December 24, 2020
Sidney Museum, 675 Belleville Street, Victoria
By Donation; Timed admissio
Visit the Butchart Gardens
Come, wander, breathe deeply at the Butchart Gardens. Details
Daily | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, with viewing until 5:00 PM
Butchart Gardens, 800 Benvenuto Avenue, Brentwood Bay
Adult $36.00, Youth $18.00, Child $3.00, including tax
Go on Scenic Drives
British Columbia has some of the most scenic vistas in the entire country. With a mixture of ocean, mountains, valleys, lakes, vineyards, waterfalls, orchards and farmland, the highways and byways of the province will take you past some amazing views. A road trip through the province will allow you to experience a little bit of everything. Details
Go Hiking or Visit Nature Areas
Parks and pathways, Provincial parks, and conservation reserves are open for people to enjoy some time with nature.
Enjoy a leisurely walk with the family at any of these locations:
- Nature Attractions & Parks in Victoria
- Outdoor Activities & Adventures in Victoria
- Outdoor Adventures in Vancouver Island
- Outdoor Adventures in Southern Gulf Islands
Public & Farmers’ Markets
- Sooke Country Market: Saturdays, through October 2020 | 10:00 AM to 02:00 PM @ Otter Point Road, in John Philips Park
- Moss Street Community Market: Through Saturdays, October 31 | 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM @ Moss Street Market, 1330 Fairfield Rd, Victoria
- Goldstream Farmer’s Market: Saturdays, through October at 10:00 AM to 02:00 PM @ Goldstream Ave. and Langford Parkway, Veterans Memorial Park, Langford
- Victoria Public Market at the Hudson: Mondays – Fridays, 11 AM – 3 PM @ The Hudson, 6-1701 Douglas Street
Weekend Getaways
- Girls Weekend Getaways. Details
- Cheap Weekend Getaways for Couples. Details
- Wilderness & Off the Grid Getaways. Details
- Yoga Retreats & Getaways. Details
- Must-Visit Nature Parks. Details
Explore Cowichan
For those unfamiliar, Cowichan is a district located in beautiful British Columbia’s southern Vancouver Island. Cowichan, when translated from First Nations Coast Salish, means ‘Quw’utsun’ or ‘land warmed by the sun!’ The name is upheld by the expansive options of fun outdoor activities, heightened by the warmed months of the summer. Details
Virtual Events & Activities
Victoria International Jewish Film Festival
The VIJFF exhibits films with Jewish themes that aren’t readily available at commercial cinemas, and creates a sense of community by bringing together film lovers who are interested in, or curious about, Jewish culture. Details
October 17 to November 4, 2020
Enjoy a Quarantine Concert
There are many free concerts live-streamed every day. Check them out.
Enjoy Live Theatre from around the World
With COVID-19 pandemic forcing theatres to shut their doors, many performing art centres have taken to being open virtually. Check out theatre performance online from around the world. Details
Explore Canada or the World From Home
Explore Canada’s arctic, Winnipeg, National Parks and many more places from Home. Travel to international or outer space destinations like the international space station, discover Egypt’s Heritage Sites from tombs to monasteries or take a trip on scenic trains in Europe virtually.
We do try to make the listings as accurate as possible, but there may be typographical/oversight errors or events may be cancelled or postponed without any notice. Verify all details from concerned event Websites/officials.
All the Oak Bay events were cancelled this year