WHISTLEMANIA
Where: Market Square, 560 Johnson St.
When: Saturday, June 24, 3 p.m.
Tickets: $65.13 at
For a local business looking to celebrate what it does best — craft beer — a professional wrestling-themed event might not make the shortlist of ideas worth exploring.
Which is precisely why it proved to be such an inspired choice for the first annual Whistlemania, held last year in Market Square as a birthday celebration for Whistle Buoy Brewing. The mini festival also included music, food and beer — but the wrestling component was all anyone who attended could talk about afterward.
“We wanted to put on a day of entertainment that was a little less expected, to separate ourselves from the other festivals and events happening in town,” said co-founder Isaiah Archer, who handles marketing and sales for the popular Market Square brewery.
“Most people who went had never been to a live wrestling show, and weren’t necessarily into the sport. But when you looked around the crowd, it was just a bunch of really happy, smiling people. No one really realized how much they were going to like that part of it.”
Competitors from 365 Pro Wrestling, the popular league created by Campbell River’s Mike Becherer, are back in the ring this weekend for the second Whistlemania, which gets underway Saturday in Market Square’s lower courtyard just steps away from Whistle Buoy’s popular taphouse and patio (which will remain open to non-festivalgoers.)
Whistlemania 2023 will be similar to last year’s edition, Archer said, in that music, food and libations are being offered. The pro wrestling component will again take centre stage, however, and with a bigger footprint. The site capacity has been increased to 650 people, up from 450 in year one.
Jen Severtson of Peach Pyramid, drag performer Vivian Vanderpuss, DJ Juice, and rockers The Dougs and The Velveteins will perform throughout the day. Food providers will also be on hand to give the open-air square a distinct festival feel.
“We want to have this become an annual event in Market Square, in the middle of the summer, to do something awesome for the people in Victoria,” Archer said.
“When COVID happened, and tourism dried up, we realized this has to be a community-driven business. It has to be about serving the Victoria market first and foremost.”
