49 Below Ice Cream, a beloved institution of summertime, has opened its third and largest location in Vic West.
Located at 420 Craigflower Road, the newest shop will open its doors to the public for the first time on Friday, May 15th, and will be open from noon to 8 p.m.
Those who check out the new shop this May long weekend will notice archival photographs sourced from the City of Victoria that depict the historic building and neighbourhood surrounding Banfield Park.
“Every location we’ve opened has been because of the people who’ve shown up for us. Vic West has such a strong sense of community, and we hope to earn our place in it.”
Check out 49 Below’s new storefront this weekend!
#victoriabuzz #yyjbuzz
We’ve got some exciting news for the pickleball enthusiasts out there!
After the recent opening of several new pickleball courts in Topaz Park, the park will aim to make good use of those courts this summer.
Pickleball Festival will debut at Topaz Park from August 28th to 30th this year.
The three-day event will feature a competitive tournament played on the 11 new brand new outdoor courts, an outdoor vendor market and a food garden.
“Pickleball is more than a sport right now. It is a movement, and Canada deserves a flagship festival that matches the energy players are bringing to the courts every weekend,” said Buna.
“Victoria is the perfect launch city. We are starting here, and we plan to take this festival across the country.”
The tournament will host players from across Vancouver Island, BC, Washington State and beyond.
Registration for the tournament starts at $65 and opens at 8 a.m. on July 5th.
Read more at Victoria Buzz
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Happy May long weekend, everybody!
Here are 13 things happening in and around Victoria this weekend – May 15th to 18th:
ALL WEEKEND
Menopolooza Spring 2026
📍Victoria Conference Centre, 720 Douglas Street
🗓 Friday, May 15th to Sunday, May 17th – various times
163rd Victoria Highland Games
📍Topaz Park (Topaz Avenue, Finlayson Street and Blanshard Street)
🗓 Saturday, May 16th 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
🗓 Sunday, May 17th 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Luxton Spring Fair at Luxton Fairgrounds
📍Luxton Fair Grounds, 1040 Marwood Avenue
🗓 Friday, May 15th – 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
🗓 Saturday, May 16th – 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.
🗓 Sunday, May 17th – 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Ship Point Market
📍Ship Point, 812 Wharf Street
🗓 Saturday, May 16th and Sunday, May 17th – 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
Big Patio Days at Whistle Buoy
📍Whistle Buoy, Market Square, Lower Courtyard, 560 Johnson Street
🗓 Saturday, May 16th – 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Blue Moon Marquee at Capital Ballroom
📍Capital Ballroom, 858 Yates Street
🗓 Saturday, May 16th – 8 p.m.
The Hip Experience at the McPherson Playhouse
📍The McPherson Playhouse, 3 Centennial Square
🗓 Saturday, May 16th – 7:30 p.m.
Gordy Dodd’s One World Multicultural Festival at the Parliament Buildings
📍Legislative Assembly of BC, 501 Belleville Street
🗓 Saturday, May 16th – 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Beehive Wool Shop 120th Anniversary Tea Party
📍Beehive Fibre Arts Centre, 1205 Blanshard Street
🗓 Saturday, May 16th, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
SUNDAY
The Gondoliers at the Mary Winspear Centre
📍The Mary Winspear Centre, 2243 Beacon Avenue
🗓 Sunday, May 17th – 2 p.m.
Pacific FC versus Inter Toronto at Starlight Stadium
📍Starlight Stadium, 1089 Langford Parkway
🗓 Sunday, May 17th – 2 p.m.
The Virgin Suicides at the Vic Theatre
📍The Vic Theatre, 808 Douglas Street
🗓 Sunday, May 17th – 7:30 p.m.
MONDAY
The Victoria Day Parade
📍Starting at Belleville Street and Government Street to Wharf Street, up Johnson Street, then back along up to Government Street before ending on Chatham Street
🗓 Monday, May 18th – 9 a.m.
See the full list of Thing To Do at Victoria Buzz
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Gather your friends and family and get down to Langford for the 166th annual Luxton Spring Fair in Langford! 🎡
This year the fair officially kicks off on Thursday, May 14th and runs until Sunday, May 17th. There will be plenty of fun for the whole family!
The fair will feature games, rides, vendors, antique farm equipment, live music, blacksmith demonstrations and more.
Amusement rides are provided by West Coast Amusements, and have all your favourite attractions to keep you smiling (and maybe slightly woozy) all weekend long.
#victoriabuzz #yyjbuzz
A growing summer favourite, BC CrabFest returns to Victoria’s beautiful Inner Harbour this July.
This is the festival’s fourth year, and will be its second at Ship Point.
This one-day celebration brings locals and visitors together around one of British Columbia’s most prized seafoods: fresh, sustainably harvested BC Dungeness crab.
The festival will also feature live music, coastal culture, and waterfront experiences right on the harbour.
Guests are encouraged to pre-purchase their Crab Boil Bucket in advance, as a very limited number will be available onsite.
These meals will be cooked on-site by top chefs alongside students from Camosun College’s Culinary Arts program with support from Sysco Victoria.
Admission is by donation, with $10 being suggested. A portion of proceeds will support community partners such as Mustard Seed.
BC CrabFest is supported by other partners including Buy BC, CRD and the City of Victoria.
BC CrabFest @bc_crabfest
📍Ship Point, 812 Wharf Street (Victoria’s Inner Harbour)
🗓️ Saturday, July 18th – 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
#victoriabuzz #yyjbuzz #vancouverislandbuzz
The 163rd Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival returns this weekend!
This is the longest continually running Highland Games & Celtic Festival in North America, and will take place on Saturday, May 16th and Sunday, May 17th at Topaz Park.
Attendees gather from all around to see the culturally rich festival with family-friendly activities and entertainment in celebration of Scottish and Irish arts and culture.
In true Scottish fashion, the event will take place rain or shine, and will feature the Highland dance competition, heavy events, as well as piping, drumming and fiddling performances.
The heavy events are a highly-anticipated spectacle every year, with Women’s Worlds being the highlight.
The reigning world champion Kristine Rothwell will be competing, as well as contestants from all over the world.
Bringing the kids? Tickets for children aged 12 and under are free and there are plenty of events designed specifically for them!
For everyone else, tickets come as day passes, weekend passes or specific event passes, and can be purchased via Eventbrite.
What are you waiting for? Grab your tickets and get down to Topaz Park this weekend for a high-energy celebration of Scottish and Celtic heritage!
163rd Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival
📍Topaz Park (Topaz Avenue, Finlayson Street and Blanshard Street)
🗓 Saturday, May 16th 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
🗓 Sunday, May 17th 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
#victoriabuzz #yyjbuzz
The Victoria Day Parade returns this weekend but will have an entirely new route, similar to that of the Christmas Parade.
Taking place in downtown Victoria this May long weekend, this year will mark the 126th time this cherished parade will take place, and this year will feature a new route.
On Monday, May 18th, starting at 9 a.m., the parade will begin its new route on the corner of Belleville and Government Streets.
The parade will proceed down Government to Wharf Street, up Johnson Street, back along Government, before ending on Chatham Street.
The parade’s distance is significantly reduced this year, down to 1.6 kilometres from four kilometres in previous years.
Thrifty Foods Victoria Day Parade
📍Starting at Belleville Street and Government Street to Wharf Street, up Johnson Street, then back along up to Government Street before ending on Chatham Street
🗓 Monday, May 18th – 9 a.m.
#victoriabuzz #yyjbuzz
BC CrabFest is BACK in Victoria this summer! 🦀
Fresh Dungeness crab, live music, chef demos and sunset drinks right on the Inner Harbour… yeah, this is one you don’t want to miss.
Taking over Ship Point on July 18th, this one-day festival brings together coastal flavours, local culture and waterfront vibes all in one spot.
If you’re thinking about going, grab your crab bucket ahead of time… they don’t last long!
Tag who you’re bringing with you 👇
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We already know how wonderful it is to live in Victoria, and we just got some validation for that feeling!
Victoria was named one of the top 50 cities in the world for generation Zers to move to on a list recently released by Remitly.
The company placed Victoria at number 49, just beating Gothenburg, Sweden at number 50.
“Your 20s are a genuinely great time to take a leap,” the article stated.
“Whether you’re eyeing a fresh start after university or college, chasing a job opportunity abroad, or just ready to live somewhere different. Moving to a new city (or a new country entirely) can be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make.”
Where do you think Victoria should be on the list? Let us know in the comments below!
#victoriabuzz #yyjbuzz
FernFest is back on!
After being briefly cancelled due to operator burnout and lack of capacity, FernFest is back on for 2026.
The well-loved event and the operators of the event, Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group (NRG) received so much feedback that the community did not want to go without FernFest in 2026.
Fernwood NRG has hired a third-party operator, LampPost Social, to take the reins on the festival in response to the public outcry.
Their motion explained that FernFest had missed the deadline for event and festival applications through normal City channels.
The $20,000 grant they will be receiving will come out of the My Great Neighbourhood funding, which was increased from $140,000 to $200,000 during recent budget talks.
After 2026, FernFest operators will have to return to the normal channels for festival funding.
Read more at Victoria Buzz
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Victoria’s Humboldt Bar is once again being recognized as one of the best in the country in 2026.
The cocktail bar was named in the top 50 bars in Canada, coming in at number 34 on the list.
The list, created by Canada’s 100 Best, praises Humboldt’s dedication to teaching history through cocktails.
“A sumptuous corner banquette is the perfect perch for your history lesson on Alexander von Humboldt,” the website raves.
“The 19th-century naturalist and explorer is the inspiration behind almost everything (drinks, artwork, sharing plates) in this small and wonderfully romantic bar led by Brant Porter. Cocktails trace von Humboldt’s life through flavour profiles spanning from bright and fresh to bold and spicy.”
Locals know the bar as an intimate and sophisticated venue tucked away, appropriately, on Humboldt Street.
Humboldt was the only Victoria bar to make the list this year, however in previous years establishments like Citrus & Cane and Clive’s Cocktail Lounge have been recognized.
If you’re looking for a classy night at a delicious cocktail bar that tells a story with every glass, try out Humboldt Bar on your next night on the town.
Read the full article at Victoria Buzz
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This summer, students and researchers at UVic will be sending a miniature satellite into space to collect data on the impacts of climate change.
The project is being led by UVic’s CubeSats Initiative in Canada for STEM (CUBICS) team, who are reportedly on track to launch the satellite in July.
The team’s research has recently been integrated by the Canadian Space Agency, in order to place their satellite, MARMOTSat, into its deployment module and officially clearing it for launch.
MARMOTSat (Mission for Atmospheric Radio Measurements with Open-source Technology Satellite) is a shoebox-sized satellite known as a CubeSat, measuring just 340 millimetres long by 100 millimetres tall and wide.
The data collected will allow UVic to continue to train students in space science and technology and facilitate new research into the correlation between the ionosphere’s composition and structure.
Currently, MARMOTSat is undergoing assembly, integration and testing of flight systems.
Read more at Victoria Buzz
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