Tourism Victoria Achieves Destination Marketing Accreditation Tourism Victoria announced today that it has been awarded accreditation from the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP). DMAP is an international accreditation program developed by the Washington, D.C. based Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). In earning the DMAP accreditation, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) communicate to their community, buyers and potential visitors that their DMO has attained a significant measure of excellence. Tourism Victoria is the second British Columbia organization to receive accreditation, and among a select Canadian group who have qualified.
DMAP accreditation standards cover a wide variety of topics including governance, finance, management, human resources, technology, visitor services, group services, sales, communications, membership, brand management, destination development, research/market intelligence, innovation and stakeholder relationships.
DMAP is an independent international accreditation body and a leader in defining quality and performance issues in destination marketing.
Victoria named #2 Destination Canada and #16 Destination World in TripAdvisor's 2008 Travelers’ Choice Destination Awards In its inaugural year, the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards honor the world’s top destinations, earning their distinction from those who know them best – real travelers.
Only TripAdvisor’s Destinations Awards represent the opinions of millions of travelers. The winners were determined by a combination of TripAdvisor’s travelers’ favorite places and overall popularity on TripAdvisor. “Whether it’s for their unique beauty, or abundance of attractions, the 2008 Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards honor the most beloved destinations from around the world,” said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor. “Determined by millions of travelers, the Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards are unique because they single out not just popular places but truly exceptional places that enthrall travelers and keep them coming back.”
Arts, Heritage And Culture Guide September - December 2008 Find out about the latest arts, heritage and cultural events happening in Victoria - Download the PDF guide.
Self Guided Heritage Walks Of Victoria Take a walk and discover the wonderful and mysterious secrets that are part of Victoria's hidden history with this series of four self-guided walks.
The Gratitude Dance Check out this fun and uplifting video filmed in and around Victoria. Look for some of your favorite Victoria locations and see if you recognize any of the friendly Victoria locals.
Events Centennial Tea - Every Friday at the Fairmont Empress May 2 - September 26, 2008
As well as the world-famous afternoon High Tea, the Fairmont Empress is offering a Centennial Tea every Friday from the beginning of May right through until the end of September. This is the ultimate afternoon tea experience, served either in the intimate library with its carved ceilings and ivy-covered windows, or in The Empress Harbourside Room.
St. Anns Academy 150 Celebrations May 6 - August 6, 2008
This special BC 150 event will include a re-enactment of the 1858 arrival of the Sisters of St. Ann's, a symphony concert on the grounds of the National Historic Site of St. Ann's Academy, a gala "alumni and friends" dinner and a Victorian Family Picnic.
Location: St. Ann's Academy, Humboldt Street
War Brides: One-Way Passage - Royal BC Museum May 9 - September 1, 2008
War Brides: One-Way Passage is a new exhibit at the Royal BC Museum. Meet war brides who, for love, left behind everything they’d ever known to join their servicemen husbands overseas.
Some 44,000 war brides and their 21,000 children immigrated to Canada during the Second World War, in an effort organized and paid for by the Canadian government. In addition, an estimated 4,000 women emigrated from Canada as brides of Allied military personnel who had trained in Canada.
This exhibit celebrates these women through paintings, photographs and media installations by Calgary artist Bev Tosh.
Stage in the Park - Beacon Hill Park May 11 - September 21, 2008
From May through September the City of Victoria proudly presents a variety of free weekly concerts and special events on the stage of the Cameron Bandshell.
The program is subject to change and concerts are held rain or shine.
Victoria Harbour Ferry - Water Ballet
May 20 - September 14, 2008
FREE!! Beginning on the Victoria Day Weekend... every Sunday at 10:45 am the world famous Victoria Harbour Ferries perform their 'water ballet'.
DON'T MISS the ferries 'dance' to the music of the Blue Danube Waltz in the Inner Harbour as the Skippers take their jaunty little boats through their paces in a precision water ballet.
The ballet can be viewed from almost any waterside location around the harbour.
Weekend Public Tours of The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria June 7 - August 24, 2008
On Saturday and Sunday afternoons throughout the Summer Art Gallery Docents will lead public tours to give insights into current exhibitions.
Tours are one hour and designed for a general Gallery audience. Do not miss this fabulous opportunity to learn more about the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.
Time: 2:00pm - Saturdays and Sundays ONLY.
Summer Music Academy and Festival
June 22 - August 16, 2008
Enjoy a series of classical and jazz concerts/recitals celebrating talented young musicians locally and from across Canada. Also features performances by visiting Canadian professional musicians. Presented by the Victoria Conservatory of Music.
Sunday Tours of Historic Bamberton Site and Museum
June 29 - September 28, 2008
Step back in time to the early 1900s and relive life at Bamberton, one of the most important industrial sites in BC’s history. Tour the largest private reclamation project on Vancouver Island, and experience Bamberton’s current history in the making.
The Butchart Gardens Summer Series June 28 - August 30, 2008
This is a nightly series of open air musical events spread over 64 nights on the Concert Lawn. Enjoy nationally recognized artists performing country, classical, rock and jazz.
Also do not forget the world famous Fireworks Show every Saturdays from June 28 until August 30. These lavish shows dazzle visitors with their unique blend of spectacle and music. Bring warm clothing and, if desired, a cover to sit upon the ground. Blankets and refreshments are available for purchase on site.
Showcase in the Square at Market Square June 27 - August 31, 2008
This is a brand new and exciting, 10-week festival happening all summer long at Market Square, featuring outdoor evening theatre, free outdoor movie nights, daytime music and dance, outdoor evening ballet performances and an artisan market.
2008 Summer in the Square at Centennial Square July 7 - August 24, 2008
You will find free weekday lunchtime concerts, evening ballroom dance instruction and dancing to live music, as well as several special festivals and celebrations and more at Centennial Square this summer. With such a diverse line up of entertainment you will want to return over and over again.
Summer Nights in Abkhazia - Wednesdays Only July 2 - August 27, 2008
On Wednesday evenings throughout July and August Abkhazi Garden will open its doors to the public for a special event series: Summer Nights in Abkhazia.
Prepare to be entranced by the garden in the evening light, enticed by the selection of sweet and savoury offerings from our restaurant and entertained by an array of local musicians.
Come at 6:00pm and enjoy our sweet and savoury offerings featuring recipes from Abkhazia and Eastern Europe. The musicians will begin at 7:00 pm. Seating is limited so consider bringing your own chair or a blanket.
Architectural Tours of Victoria
July 2 - August 23, 2008
To show you a side of Victoria you have never seen before the Architectural Institute of British Columbia offers five unique architectural perspectives of Victoria through its summer walking tours.
The Victoria Shakespeare Society Summer Festival July 10 - August 16, 2008
The Victoria Shakespeare Society returns with its sixth consecutive summer festival. This year they are excited to present Much Ado About Nothing and The Tempest at the Camosun College Lansdowne Campus.
Canadian Pacific Ballet - Outdoor Evening Ballet Performances July 22 - August 19, 2008
At 8:00pm on five consecutive Tuesdays Canadian Pacific Ballet will present Ballet Under The Stars. Residents and visitors are invited to enjoy beautiful and rich romantic and classical ballet in the heart of old town.
Audiences will bask under a summer sky while watching some of our country's finest dancers perform timeless pieces including Pas De Quatre, Flower Fesitval at Genzano, La Bayadere Pas de Trois, selections from A Midsummer Night Dream and much much more. these will be enchanting evenings for all to enjoy!
Festival 150 Celebrates BCs 150th Birthday in the Capital August 1 - 4, 2008
Come to Victoria, capital of BC and enjoy a weekend to remember!
To mark British Columbia’s 150th anniversary, the Provincial Capital Commission, along with community partners and sponsors, is presenting Festival 150, a major public event on this BC Day weekend.
Festival 150 will offer four days of free family-oriented activities, taking place all around Victoria’s beautiful Inner Harbour from Friday, Aug. 1 through BC Day Monday, Aug. 4. It will showcase our rich history, vibrant culture, entrepreneurism and innovation.
Free B Film Festival - Fridays and Saturdays only August 1 - 30, 2008
Keen to see a flick for free? Don’t fancy being cooped up inside a hot stuffy theatre for long hours during summer? Come and enjoy a movie under the stars.
Every Saturday (and two Fridays - August 8th and 29) the Victoria Film Festival goes beyond the summer blockbuster to bring YOU another great line-up of B-movies - from the Family-Friendly to the Funky and Fun.
Fire Bells and Fanfare and Ceremony of the Flags
August 2 - 3, 2008
Fire Bells and Fanfare and Ceremony of the Flags
This event celebrates the 150th Anniversary of the establishment of organized fire protection at Fort Victoria.
Victoria Electronic Music Festival
August 2 - 3, 2008
This is a dance oriented event showcasing live electronic music via main stage performances. There will also be educational seminars from local industry leaders. Event attendees can dance, interact with peers, and take part in hands-on demonstrations.
Victoria Dragon Boat Festival
August 15 - 17, 2008
Be part of an ancient tradition! Come down to the Inner Harbour for exhilarating dragon boat races, cultural entertainment and crafts for the whole family.
Free Admission.
Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival
August 21 - 31, 2008
The 22nd Annual Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival (TM)
The Fringe Festival is a non-stop, twelve-day explosion of comedy, improv, drama, performance art and dance from around the world. All venues downtown, some pay-what-you-can shows at Fringe Club, random 'happenings' (Fringe Secret Parade, Pick of the Fringe Pancake Breakfast) and commissioned projects.
Passion for Tango
August 22 - 24, 2008
The Passion for Tango Festival is a three day extravaganza of tango activities, music concerts, lectures and dance performances by international, Canadian and local artists. Concerts feature tango classics, tango blended with other cultural art forms and cutting edge contemporary work.
Vancouver Island Blues Bash
August 29 - September 1, 2008
This Labour Day weekend festival is a celebration of blues and R & B music with afternoon free and evening ticketed performances. Featured are more than 14 individual bands who will perform over three afternoons and three evenings.
Sports Sandown Park Horse Racing Festival July 12 - 26, 2008
Three Day Sandown Park Horse Racing Festival on Saturday July 12, Saturday July 19 and Saturday July 26.
Come on out to Sandown Raceway for 3 Saturdays of exciting horse racing action in the Sandown Park Horse Racing Festival. The event is rated E for Everyone and the BC Standard Bred Association has made certain that there will be entertainment for all to enjoy.
Victoria International Six a Side Cricket Tournament August 1 - 9, 2008
The Victoria International Six-A-Side Cricket Festival takes place at Beacon Hill Park in Victoria and Windsor Park in Oak Bay from August 1st to 9th, 2008.
The festival, known as VISAS, has been held every second year since 1986 and welcomes teams from around the world to compete in a shortened, fast-paced version of cricket. This year’s VISAS cricket festival includes teams from Australia, England, Isle of Man, New Zealand, Italy and the USA (Dallas and Los Angeles).
Exhibits Royal BC Museum: Free Spirit - Stories of You, Me and BC March 13, 2008 - January 11, 2009
Free Spirit – The Exhibition
Running March 13, 2008 – Jan. 11, 2009 at the Royal BC Museum, this 10,000-sq. ft. exhibition showcases more than 400 artifacts, specimens and documents. Drawn from the RBCM’s collections and archives, many of these objects have never before been displayed publicly.
Free Spirit documents the story of British Columbia – but not in a traditional, chronological sense. This is history as seen through the eyes of ordinary and extraordinary British Columbians, glimpses into the lives and locations that have shaped this province.
The exhibition celebrates the province through the stories of BC’s First Peoples to its newest citizens, from the early European surveyors to today’s high-tech visionaries, and from the pillars of the province to its legendary eccentrics. In the Mighty 90 Drive-In Theatre, a giant 1950s carbon-arc drive-in projector will flicker to life with movie travelogues from the 1940s to the 1970s. Actors and storytellers interact with visitors to animate the exhibition through words, music and demonstrations. Free Spirit Online www.freespiritbc.ca is the People’s History component of this interactive website, launched on Nov. 19, 2007, encourages all British Columbians to submit their personal stories about the province and their connections to it. Through text, photographic, video and audio submissions, the searchable site will create a fresh chapter in BC history.
The website also features a resource room for teachers and a press room for media.
Althea Thauberger: Chelsea Girls at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria May 29 - September 7, 2008
Using Andy Warhol’s 1966 film, Chelsea Girls as a conceptual starting point, Vancouver-based artist Althea Thauberger creates a film collaboration with the residents of a Victoria apartment building.
In Warhol’s original work, episodes took place within New York’s Chelsea Hotel. Thauberger’s homage follows the original in format and construction, but also addresses urgent contemporary themes, inviting the performers themselves to contribute content of political, social, or personal importance.
Chelsea Girls is a commissioned project created especially for the Art Gallery during the artist’s residency in Victoria this spring; the project is presented in conjunction with Warhol: Larger Than Life.
Warhol: Larger than Life May 30 - August 24, 2008
The exciting exhibition Warhol: Larger than Life delves into one of the 20th century's most compelling artistic personalities, with an expansive collection of over 150 paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, photographs and films spanning four decades of production.
Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987) was an American artist associated with the definition of Pop Art. He was a painter, printmaker and avant-garde filmmaker, a commercial illustrator, music industry producer, writer and celebrity. As well as exploring Warhol’s take on celebrity, death, destruction, everyday objects and his self-portraits, Larger than Life will draw on archival records and artwork to examine the artist’s Canadian connections like his early exhibitions at Canadian galleries, Expo 67 and portraits of famous Canadians like Wayne Gretzky and Karen Kain.The exhibition was organized by the Winnipeg Art Gallery, with most works borrowed from The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.
Royal BC Museum - Friday/Saturday Extended Hours June 1 - September 27, 2008
On Fridays and Saturdays until September 27 the Royal BC Museum will be open until 10:00pm, with the exception of Friday July 11, when it will close at 5:00pm as usual.
A Star To Steer By at the Maritime Museum of BC July 8 - November 2, 2008
The evolution of celestial navigational instruments is the theme of the Maritime Museum’s new exhibit on display. It pays homage to the ancient mariners who expanded human culture around the world.
A Star to Steer By looks at five maritime cultures and their impact on the world. Chronologically, the first group the exhibit features is the Austronesians (Primarily the Micronesians and the Polynesians) and their settlement of the Great South Sea. Using low tech navigational instruments, but having an intimate knowledge of the stars, ocean swells and currents and other natural phenomena, these people were able to settle a third of the earth’s surface.
LAB 8.1: Street Games July 24 - September 14, 2008
LAB 8.1: Street Games (an exercise in lightness) - an Exhibit by Doug Lewis
Doug Lewis's work investigates streets and sidewalks as sites of social exchange, finding 'people that play games in order to hustle, hoodwink, perform and commune for social and econimoic survival.'
This exhibition of video, photo and sculptural installation features abstracted images of street games from his travels in England, China, USA and Canada, and works from the Gallery's collection that reference urbanity, social issues and concepts of the street and the game.
Backstreet Boys With Special Guests Girlicious
September 5, 2008
Do not miss Backstreet Boys and Girlicious when they take the stage in Victoria at the Save On Foods Memorial Centre.
It is hard to believe that 15 years have passed since Backstreet Boys redefined the modern musical landscape, ushering in a chapter of pop culture that commandeered the world’s radio airwaves, broke music and concert sales records and launched a new generation of teen idols for millions of youths.
Public Markets Bastion Square Public Market April 5 - October 26, 2008
This year Bastion Square is alive with street artists, artisans and other vendors seven days a week.
Island Chef Collaborative will also operate their wonderful local fresh produce stall on both Thursdays and Fridays starting in June.
Time: 10:30am - 7:00pm
James Bay Community Market - Saturdays Only
May 3 - October 4, 2008
At this wonderful Saturday market just steps away from the Inner Harbour you will find fresh local produce and flower bouquets; over 50 juried artisans selling beautiful hand crafted jewellery, pottery, unique wood products, toys, photography, paintings, greeting cards, beautiful wildlife paintings on wood, natural luxurious soaps, lotions and bath products; local James Bay honey, delicious homemade pies, scones, jams and other tasty treats!
Come on down and enjoy a cup of fresh coffee, live music or perhaps treat yourself to a relaxing chair massage. Each week there are new vendors participating and throughout the summer there are many special events planned. Visit often and enjoy all the Market has to offer. Bring your out-of-town guests who will find wonderful treasures to take home.
Time: Saturdays only 9:00am - 3:00pm Rain or Shine
Metchosin Farmers Market
May 11 - October 26, 2008
Metchosin Farmers Market - SUNDAYS ONLY
This is a rustic market offering lots of fresh, Metchosin grown fruits and vegetables from Certified Organic growers and traditional farmers as well as baking, honey and jams, soaps and lotions, free range eggs, fresh-cut flowers, bedding plants and herbs etc.
For lunch try a mouth-watering Galloping Goose sausage on a bun—YUM! There are also a few craft stalls with high quality products. Live music and lots of friendly conversation make a visit to our market a must. We're the 'Great Little Market in Metchosin' and we'd love to see you here.
Time: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Inner Harbour Night Market - Friday and Saturday only
June 20 - August 30, 2008
Take some time out to visit the Inner Harbour any Friday or Saturday night this summer. Enjoy fine artisans, live music and street performers.
Luxton Station Market
May 31 - October 4, 2008
Luxton Station Market - Saturdays only
This diverse community market features a wide variety of locally-grown food and agricultural products, as well as locally-produced crafts, entertainment, activities for children, and displays by local organizations.
The name of the market is based on its location at the fairgrounds, adjacent to the Galloping Goose Regional Trail. Luxton was once a stop on the historic rail line that is now a popular multi-use trail.
Moss Street Community Market - Saturdays Only
May 3 - September 13, 2008
This wonderful market operates every Saturday through the summer, rain or shine. Come out and check the great array of fresh produce, art and handicraft.
Time: SATURDAYS ONLY 10:00am - 2:00pm
Location: Sir James Douglas Schoolgrounds, at the corner of Moss and Fairfield
16th Annual Government Street Market - Sundays Only
May 4 - September 28, 2008
The Government Street Market is celebrating its 16th year as a vibrant street market, featuring an exciting assortment of arts, crafts, locally designed clothing, imports, food and entertainment.
This market is held every Sunday and some Holiday Mondays.
Time: 11:00am - 4:30pm
Location:1600 Block of Government Street, between the McPherson Theatre and Chinatown.
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