What better way to celebrate Spring than with the famous Buccaneer Days in Esquimalt?
All year residents look forward to games, rides, popcorn and more fried food than you can shake a peg-leg at.
Thankfully, the wait is nearly over!
The beloved fair will run from Thursday, May 8th to Sunday, May 11th at the Archie Browning Sports Centre.
The festivities will feature a flurry of family-friendly activities, including a Mother’s Day brunch, family music bingo, the famous parade and a skydiving demonstration.
Little Bucc’s Olympics and the carnival are also favourites among fair-goers.
The event has deep roots in the community, dating all the way back to 1939 when the festival started as a May Queen celebration, which featured celebrations of fertility, planting and flowers.
The fair re-invented itself in 1966 and became the Buccaneer Days that we all know and love.
Now, the celebration kick-off has become a tradition, with the call of “Wakey, Wakey!” echoing through the streets of Esquimalt from a speaker on a roving firetruck, alerting residents that the festivities are about to begin.
When the message is delivered to every house in the area, the township transforms into a sea of pirate attire and calls of “shiver me timbers,” with everyone vying for the coveted prize of best costume.
Residents then flock to Esquimalt Road to watch the beloved Buccaneer Days parade with their neighbours and community.
Put on your eye-patch and your best set of trousers and head down to Esquimalt to enjoy the Festivities.
Tickets have not yet been put on sale, however some lucky few have been able to pick up advanced tickets, which were sold at community events like the Esquimalt 5K and the Lions Easter Extravaganza.
To stay up to date and find out where you can get tickets, visit the Buccaneer Days website here.
Esquimalt Buccaneer Days
When: Thursday, May 8th to Sunday, May 11th
Where: Archie Browning Sports Centre, 1151 Esquimalt Road
