By Zoe Deal For those planning to travel to B.C. this weekend, keep in mind that the Victoria Day long weekend may put a damper on the border crossing experience. But if one is feeling festive, one can join in on the many celebrations happening across B.C.
A national holiday celebrated in Canada, Victoria Day pays homage to Queen Victoria on the Monday prior to her birthday, May 24. It’s one of Canada’s largest holidays, often thought to signal the start of summer.
Queen Victoria ruled Great Britain from 1837 until her death in 1876, and became renowned for her high moral standards. Her nine children married into other royal families around the continent, giving her the nickname “the grandmother of Europe.” She is the second great-grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II, the U.K.’s current monarch.
In provinces that celebrate Victoria Day as a statutory holiday, such as B.C., celebrations abound for the first long weekend of the warm weather months. Those planning to spend the weekend in B.C. have many events to choose from if they wish to get outdoors.
On Saturday, hundreds of classic cars will make their way to the VanDusen Botanical Garden for the Vancouver All-British Field Meet. The next morning, Rovers, Jaguars, Triumphs, Minis and more will set off to Whistler as part of the Vancouver-Whistler Run.
Events in Fort Langley on Saturday include a beer and food festival with over 40 breweries and food vendors and an impressive May Day parade on Monday, which has been happening yearly since 1922.
Surrey’s Stewart Farm will host the Royal Victorian Party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, with dance performances, family-friendly activities and cake.
Other parades and a cascade of Victoria Day activities will take place on Monday, May 20 at Burnaby Village Museum, along with maypole celebrations and high tea at Barkerville Historic Town and Park.
Long weekend festivals and special events will also occur all across the province.
The Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair takes place all weekend long just 10 miles north of the border, drawing over 100,000 people annually with a variety of family-friendly entertainment. For its 131st year, the country fair will include a cowboy rib fest, pig races, an “agri zone” with baby animals and 4H displays and a lumberjack show, among many other attractions.
Parking is $10, admission to the country fair is $10 for adults and the rodeo is $25 for adults. Children 12 and under are free. “[The rodeo] is a very family-friendly, animal-friendly event. It’s two hours of really exciting entertainment,” said Shannon Claypool, president of the Cloverdale Rodeo and Exhibition Association.
The 156th Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival is set to be the largest ever. With a plethora of events and festivities, including dancing, sports, culture and entertainment, the celebration brings nearly 25,000 people to the Topaz Park in Victoria, B.C. annually.
Safari Jeff will be performing his “Into the Wild” show at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day of the long weekend at the B.C. Wildlife Park in Kamloops, along with animal encounters, a wildlife miniature express train and BBQ special.
Finally, the Royal Canadian Family Circus will stick around all weekend in Richmond, offering eight acrobatic performances over the course of the weekend at Lansdowne Centre.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here