SUMMER FIREWORK SATURDAYS
Where: The Butchart Gardens, 800 Benvenuto Ave.
When: Saturday, July 1 through Saturday, Sept. 2
Tickets: $3-$39.50
Why: The first fireworks display in three years at The Butchart Gardens gets underway at 10:15 p.m. on Saturday, one of the surest signs summer is finally upon us. The first of 10 dazzling installments through September, the combination of aerial and ground displays choreographed to music is included with paid admission to The Gardens. As a bonus, the tourist attraction’s summer series of evening entertainment debuts Friday with the first of 38 performances, which are included with paid admission to the site. One of the best-value attractions of the summer.
ISAIAH COLLIER & THE CHOSEN FEW
Where: Hermann’s Upstairs, 753 View St.
When: Friday, June 30, 9:15 p.m.
Tickets: $35 from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or
Why: Chicago saxophonist Isaiah Collier may not be universally known — his most-watched video on YouTube has 12,000 views — but his talent and skill as an improviser far outweighs his draw. The easiest comparison? John Coltrane, but his music also draws from myriad styles and sonics. The free jazz wunderkind (Collier is only 24) and his quartet, the Chosen Few, are among the highlights of the second week of programming at the TD Victoria International Jazz Festival, which runs through July 2.
THE BERLIN BLUES
Where: Langham Court Theatre, 805 Langham Ct.
When: Thursday, June 29 through Sunday, July 2
Tickets: $18-$25 from or 250-384-2142
Why: Nanaimo’s Reconciliation Theatre continues its tour of Vancouver Island Indigenous nations this week, with a limited run of The Berlin Blues at Langham Court Theatre through Sunday. Written by Drew Hayden Taylor, an award-winning playwright from the Curve Lake First Nations in Ontario, the comedy about reserve life has enjoyed waves of critical acclaim since its 2007 debut, and its central story (about a German corporation building an Indigenous-themed amusement park) looks at cultural appropriation with a tongue planted firmly in-cheek.
