Celebrate childhood at two events designed with younger folks in mind, in Victoria and Qualicum Beach.
Take your kids to the Point Ellice House Children鈥檚 Birthday Party for sa国际传媒, today at the historic house and attraction.
The year of Confederation, 1867, was also the year that Peter and Caroline O鈥橰eilly and their 14-month old son, Frank, moved into what is now known as Point Ellice House. On Dec. 31, just three weeks later, their daughter Kathleen was born at the house.
With that in mind, organizers decided on a children鈥檚 birthday party theme for their commemorative event.
There will be croquet and a bean-bag toss, dancing on the lawn, ice cream, cake and snacks. Attendees are encouraged to wear red and white clothing.
The tone will be fun and informal 鈥� rather like an open house.
As parking is limited, attendees are encouraged to take the Number 14 bus or park their cars in the Wharf Street parking lot and take the Harbour Ferries鈥� water taxi to the dock.
Admission is by donation ($5听per family suggested).
Proceeds will be shared between Point Ellice House gardens and the Military Family Resource Centre.
The event runs 3:30 to 5 p.m. today at Point Ellice House, 2616听Pleasant St. (off Bay Street). For more information, go to pointellicehouse.com. They are also on Facebook and Instagram.
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Do you believe in fairies? Take your children to find out where they live at Vancouver Island University鈥檚 Milner Gardens 7th annual Fairy Houses, Thursday to Sunday at the gardens in Qualicum Beach.
Did you know fairies wear foxglove flowers as hats, gloves and petticoats? Look for the elusive creatures in the sun-dappled shadows of the gardens on your self-guided search. The event is in honour of International Fairy Day and late owner Veronica Milner鈥檚 belief in fairies.
Admission is $11 for adults, $6.50 for students and free for children 12 and under when accompanied by an adult. Milner Gardens members and current VIU students with student cards can enter for free.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to听5 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.) June 22 to 25. Fairy Tea Time runs 1 to 4 p.m. in the Queen鈥檚 Room and Milner House patio. Tea and a听Fairy Treat is $8.95 + GST per person.
An onsite golf-cart shuttle is prioritized for people with mobility issues. Certified guide dogs only.
Milner Gardens and Woodland is located at 2179 West Island Hwy., Qualicum Beach. For more information, go to www2.viu.ca/MilnerGardens.
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Amateur sports tourneys take over Topaz Park
Watch weekend warriors play like the pros at the Island Summer Games, a three-day amateur sports and entertainment festival, from Friday to Sunday at Topaz Park.
This is the eighth year of the outdoor festival, the largest of its kind on Vancouver Island. It features tournaments in seven amateur team sports: ball hockey, basketball, touch football, bocce, dodgeball, slo-pitch and soccer.
Eight of Victoria鈥檚 top mascots will also compete at the annual Mascot Dodgeball game. The game takes place at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the event鈥檚 Island Summer Games Square.
All that activity is sure to create a thirst, appetite and sore muscles. Participants and spectators can kick back and spend time in the beer garden, enjoy a barbecue, listen to tunes from DJs, or indulge in a well-earned massage.
The official charity this year is the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation. Admission is free for spectators. The event runs from 5 p.m. Friday until 8 p.m. Sunday at Topaz Park, 841 Finlayson St. (Blanshard and Finlayson streets). Parking is available on site, with overflow parking at Mayfair Mall.
For more information, go to islandsummergames.com.
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Art fair in vineyard helps Prospect Lake hall
Enjoy art, tea in a vintage tea room and flowers among heritage farm buildings at Art in the Vineyard, a community fundraising event hosted by the Prospect Lake District Community Association, Saturday at Starling Lane Vineyard.
Art lovers can view about 1,000 pieces of First Nations, Asian and Canadiana art, including quality reproductions and original works in oil, watercolour and multimedia by well-known and emerging artists from Salt Spring Island to San Francisco.
Artists represented include Margaret Mitchell and Daphne Odjig. The selection includes pieces from the collection of Professor Stanley Horner.
Frank Catala of the North Vancouver Community Arts Council is the artist in residence for the event.
Visitors can wander through an arts and crafts fair, admiring the works of 40 artists and artisans. Their offerings include original paintings, pottery, prints, photography, clothing, fabric art, decorative accessories, body-care products, gourmet food, jewelry and wood.
Flower posies, many in vintage containers, will be sold from the white Victorian greenhouse visible from Old West Saanich Road.
You can also take home used art and collectibles as well as homemade baking.
Proceeds from the event go toward the improvement of the grounds around the Prospect Lake Hall, one of the few remaining community-maintained halls in the province.
Admission is $2 for adults and free for children 12 and under. The event runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Starling Lane Vineyard, 5271 Old West Saanich Rd.
For more information, go to pldca.ca.
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Immerse yourself in watershed tours
Get to know how the water you drink or bathe in is delivered to your tap at a Get To Know Your H2O tour, Friday and Saturday at the Sooke Lake Reservoir, which is usually off-limits.
The Capital Regional District throws open its locked gates to give the public a behind-the-scenes look at the more than 20,500 hectares that make up the district鈥檚 watershed and reservoir.
The property is a place of unspoiled wilderness on the outskirts of the city, with a forest dominated by Douglas fir, along with stands of western red cedar, white pine and alder.
Access and activities in the area are tightly restricted.
The watershed includes the 8.3-kilometre-long Sooke Lake, which serves as the primary reservoir, with nearby Goldstream Lake available as a backup.
The property, which includes a former logging area complete with a sawmill, has served Victoria鈥檚 water needs since 1915.
During the tour, visitors will travel along a road once used by stage coaches to ferry travellers between Sooke and Leechtown.
There are two tours to choose from:
鈥� Get to Know Your H20 鈥� Behind the Red Gate is a three-hour tour that focuses on the surrounding forest, Sooke Lake and Goldstream Lake reservoirs. Register to join either a morning or afternoon tour on Friday.
鈥� Get to Know Your H20 鈥� Source to Tap Tour is a more comprehensive 5 1/2-hour tour on Saturday that follows the flow of water from Rithet Creek (the lake鈥檚 main tributary) to the water-supply facilities and finally the treatment process it undergoes before it flows from the tap.
Both tours are recommended for ages 12 and up. The tour does not include the disinfection facility, due to active construction at the site.
Joining either tour is free, but registration is required. The Behind the Red Gate tour runs 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and 1:15 to 4:15 p.m. Friday.
The Source to Tap Tour runs 9:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Tours start from the CRD Field Office parking lot, 2955 Sooke Lake Rd. (near Goldstream Park campground).
To register, or for more information, go to crd.bc.ca/service/
public-tours/watershed-tours.
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Dance troupe performs for Aboriginal Day
The Cook Street Village Activity Centre is hosting a National Aboriginal Day celebration on Friday. The Musgamaqw-Dzawada鈥檈nuwx First Nations dance group will entertain with First Nations traditional drumming, singing and storytelling.
Young members will sing and perform ancient songs and dances.
Members of the troupe will visit over traditional fare, including bannock bread and smoked salmon spread.
Tickets to the event are $10 for members and $12 for non-members. The event runs 1 to 3 p.m. Friday at the Cook Street Village Activity Centre, 380 Cook St. Purchase tickets at the reception desk. For details, go to cookstreetvillageactivitycentre.com.
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Enjoy art with music in Esquimalt
Enjoy two days of fun for the whole family at the Esquimalt Arts Festival, Friday and Saturday at Memorial Park in Esquimalt.
The event kicks off Friday with the Naden Band鈥檚 Pacific Blue, playing big band music from the 1940s and 鈥�50s. They will be followed by headliner Ken Lavigne, one of Vancouver Island鈥檚 most loved singers.
Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy the free performance.
Return on Saturday for Artists in the Park, an art exhibit featuring original works by more than 25 local artists, all-day music and food vendors.
Enjoy Splash of Paint with Molly Newman as Emily Carr and a showcase of local First Nations artwork, including carving demonstrations.
The Township of Esquimalt is sponsoring the festival.
The event is free to attend on both days. The performances start at 7 p.m. Friday and run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Park, 1212 Esquimalt Rd. For more information, go to townshiparts.org.