Head downtown on Monday and celebrate Victoria Day at the 119th Island Farms Victoria Day Parade.
This is Victoria’s largest parade, attracting well over 100,000 people. It features Canadian and American marching bands, community and commercial floats, cultural shows and festive clowns.
Led by the Canadian Forces, this annual event is free and fun for the whole family!
This year’s theme is commemorating Canada’s 150th birthday so expect to see a lot of red and white and bring out the Canadian flags. Here are ten things you should know:
Bands will be performing throughout the weekend
Bands and choirs are a big part of events marking the Victoria Day long weekend. They’ll be performing today and Sunday at the legislature, Inner Harbour, Cameron Bandshell and Bay Centre. The annual showcase for marching bands is on Sunday, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the legislature lawn. More details here.
Have fun before the parade begins and after
On Monday from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Island Farms invites the community to drop by Centennial Square for some family fun! Enjoy children’s entertainers, crafts, storytime, hamster balls obstacle course, bouncy castles, face painting, food vendors and live music at noon. View the event flyer.
When and where is the parade
The parade begins at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 22. The parade will leave from Mayfair Mall and continues along Douglas Street finishing at the intersection of Douglas and Humboldt Street.
Road Closures
Douglas Street from Tolmie to Belleville Streets will be closed to all vehicle traffic during the parade. The main intersections located near the start of the parade will close to traffic at 7 a.m. These intersections will include:
- Burnside at Douglas
- Finlayson at Burnside
- Finlayson at Blanshard
The parade will be smaller than last year.
Over 3000 participants are performing in the parade. Organizers have reduced the number of entries by 20 to provide a larger experience in a shorter amount of time. Previous parades have run nearly three hours which has been a concern for families with young children.
Look up!
There will be a fly by with Captain Donald Leblanc of 443 Squadron in the CH-124 Sea King followed by pilot Andrew Stirling of the Canadian Coast Guard honouring all first responders.
Broadcast will be at city hall this year
Can’t make it to the parade? Don’t worry; it will be available on TV. In past years, the broadcast was outside the Times Colonist building. It has been moved this year to City Hall. CHEK will begin their broadcast at 9:30 am.
Parade ends with a big bang
The largest marching band from Mercer Island High School will take part in this year’s parade. About 250 students who will close out this year’s parade.
It’s not over yet
The family fun will continue at Centennial Square until 2 p.m. View the event flyer.
There will be sunshine
Temperatures on Monday are expected to reach 25°C. Make sure to dress appropriately and don’t forget the sunscreen.
