Victoria Events Feb 4 - 11

Victoria Film Festival, Lunar New Year’s parade, markets, trivia, a chocolate making class, music, and more!

Author

Amelia Acedo
February 04, 2025

Happy Tuesday, friends. Welcome to another edition of TWIV, the newsletter equivalent of your neighbourhood coffee shop bulletin board.

On our radar

🎨 Paint and Cider Night: Head to Sea Cider Farm on Feb 13 for a special paint night experience where you can create your own canvas that forms a larger, beautiful masterpiece when brought together.

🤣 Sara Pascoe: The British comedian and writer will bring her standup to McPherson Playhouse, Feb 14.

❤️ Match me if you can: Head to the Rifflandia Showroom on Feb 14 and see pitches of singles. Help friends make connections and enjoy a night of laughs and good times.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Day at the Sidney Museum: Visit the museum Feb 15-17 for some family fun, featuring the Beacon Avenue scavenger hunt, watching LEGO® certified professional Robin Sather build a model of the Hawaii Mars, the Peninsula Co-op Community mosaic, a display at the Sidney Pier Hotel, and more. 

🍛 DWTN Winter Lime: A new cultural and family-friendly event happening on Feb 17 at Ship Point in Victoria’s Inner Harbour. This free event promises to bring a burst of Caribbean warmth to the winter season, making it a day to remember for the whole family.

🤴 The Little Prince: See the emotional opera, based on the beloved French novella, at the Royal Theatre on Feb 19, 21, 23, and 25. 

🥘 Savour Sidney: Exclusive prix-fixe dining experiences at participating restaurants in Sidney from Feb 21-March 15. 

🏆 A night at the Oscars: An evening of glitz, glamour, and movie music at the Royal Theatre on March 8 & 9. From The Wizard of Oz and E.T.: The Extraterrestrial to Chinatown and Chariots of Fire, relive some of cinema’s most magical musical moments.

🎵 The Beach Boys: See the popular band’s Endless Summer Gold tour at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on March 22. 

🎪⛸️ Cirque du Soleil Crystal: A breakthrough ice experience, where world-class ice skating and unexpected acrobatics fuse to create the first on-ice experience from Cirque du Soleil, coming to Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, May 8-18.

Happening this week and weekend

Feb 7 - 16 | Vic Theatre | Various times

The heartbeat of Victoria’s film scene is back for its 31st year this week in the Vic Theatre and theatres across downtown. [$15+]

Saturday | RBCM | 1-4pm

Celebrate Black History Month at RBCM—meet direct descendants of local Black pioneers and history makers, and check out the photo gallery and artifacts on display. [Free]

Sunday | Chinatown | 11:30am-3:30pm

Celebrate the year of the snake in Canada’s oldest Chinatown. The event starts at the Gates of Harmonious Interest, featuring an eight-lion performance by the Wong Sheung Kung Fu Club, a dragon dance by the Victoria Chinese Public School, and other traditional Chinese dances. After the parade, two lion teams will visit merchants that hang offerings of lettuce and red envelopes of money for the lions. [Free]

Lunar New Year Parade. hungfut.ca

Peach Pit: The Magpie Tour | Tues & Wed | 8pm

See the Canadian indie pop band at the Royal Theatre and listen to their new album, Magpie. [$49]

Large Ensembles Concert | Wednesday | 7pm

A large ensemble concert put on by the students of St Michael’s University School at the Farquar at UVic. [Free]

The first author event of the year at Bolen Books is featuring husband-and-wife authors Michael Crummey and Holly Hogan. An intimate evening of conversation, inspiration, and connection with two of Canada’s literary talents. [Free]

Chicago: Teen Edition | Wed - Sat | 7:30pm and 2pm

The Shawnigan Lake School presents a musical classic at the McPherson Playhouse. [$30]

Enjoy a delightful afternoon of opera, operetta, and Broadway tunes, featuring Sidney’s own tenor Sunny Shams, at Charlie White Theatre. [$40]

LEAP: A Broken Rhythms Mixer | Thursday | 7-8:30pm

Enjoy the Artistic Gallery display at Gage Gallery, get a sneak peek of some of Broken Rhythms Dancers’ upcoming work, take a walk through the company's history, grab refreshments from the bar, enjoy a few nibbles, and be one of the first people to get tickets to 'ON HOLD'. [$26]

A Talk by Dr. Sima Samar | Thursday | 7-8:30pm

The renowned Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. Sima Samar will discuss human rights in Afghanistan, particularly the rights of women, at the Bob Wright Centre in UVic. [Free]

Gilmore Girls Trivia Night | Thursday | 7-9pm 

Grab your coffee—Gilmore Girls Trivia Night is back at The Mint. Join with a team of up to six people or try it solo. [$12]

Charlie A’Court | Thursday | 7pm

See the songwriter present his new album San Palarino at Hermann’s. [$25]

See the world’s foremost all-male comic ballet company perform polished parodies of works that span the classical ballet canon at the Royal Theatre. [$34]

Visit Caffe Fantastico for an intimate evening of Galentine's music, featuring songs about love with Charis Tazumi, Olivia Jackson, and Savannah Read. [$12+]

Have a fun night with the Yukon-born songster, performing a mixture of thoughtful, humourous, spiritual, and catchy memorable songs at Hermann’s. [$25]

Dave Gunning | Friday | 7:30pm

See the award-winning songwriter and gracious storyteller at the upstairs lounge of the Oak Bay Recreation Centre. [$35]

Dave Gunning. Website.

Sweethearts Market | Fri, Sat, and Sun | 10am-4pm

Visit Bilston Creek Farm this weekend for a curated selection of specialty vendors, offering a variety of hand-made, thoughtful gifts and treats. There will be food and drinks available for purchase, and a hunt for the golden heart. [Free] 

African prints and styles by local designers will be on display at this RBCM fashion show, set to Black History radio capsules created by UVic’s School of Languages. [Free]

Join the Fernwood Community Centre for another market with Indigenous artisans from all over Turtle Island. [By Donation]

Fall In Love with Literature | Saturday | 4-6pm

Head over to Sea Cider Farmhouse and Cidery to enjoy a night of readings and discussions with authors Lorna Crozier, Maia Caron, and Chelsea Wakelyn. [$33]

Head to the Oddfellows Lodge to the "Feast to Fight Famine," a special evening where compassion meets culinary delight, savouring the rich flavours of authentic East African dishes. [$50]

Have a fun date or spend some time with family and friends while learning the basics of chocolate making in this fun workshop, hosted by the mother-daughter team of Pure Lovin' Chocolate. Each participant will leave with nine chocolate truffles in a gift box, one large piece of chocolate fruit and nut bark, and a handout with recipes. [​​$138]

Head to Hermann’s for an evening of delectable jazz as Ashley Wey presents The Joy of Cookin'. The remarkable trio doesn't just serve up some songs about food; they create a feast for the ears with their masterful interplay and dynamic chemistry on the bandstand. [$25]

A guided and interactive painting experience with a professional artist guiding you through, with music and drinks at Archer Gallery. [$46]

Super Bowl Party | Sunday | 12pm

The Sticky Wicket is pulling out all the stops to bring you the ultimate game-day experience—including all-you-can-eat wings during halftime. This event is 19+. [$37]

Guitar Recital | Sunday | 2pm

See guitar students from the class of Simon Fairintosh, UVic music performance instructor, at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. [By Donation]

See three heartfelt musical depictions of love. From the tragedy of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers to Saint-Saëns’ romantic, poetic musings between two soloists. [$39]

Dvořák's New World Symphony. rmts.bc.ca 

The downtown pub will have a Super Bowl special menu, featuring burgers, wings, chicken parm, supreme nacho platters, Philly cheesesteak, corn dogs, and more. Prizes will be given out during the event, including a 55” TV, Bose sound bar, NFL jerseys, and more. [Free entrance. Reservation recommended]

Ongoing events

Cooking Classes and Workshops | Various dates | Feb - March

Treat yourself to the joy of creating delicious meals while staying warm and inspired. Here is a roundup of all the local classes we could find. [$78+]

Dine Around and Stay in Town | Daily | Jan 24 - Feb 9

The city’s favourite foodie festival of the year is back from Jan 24-Feb 9, with more than 50 restaurants highlighting their best dishes through three-course menus set at deliciously low prices. [$25+]

Hot Chocolate Festival | Daily | Feb 1 - 28

Taste the warmth of Victoria’s community with this month-long festival where participating businesses showcase their creative hot chocolate experiences to support the BC SPCA Victoria Community Animal Centre.

Sidney Museum 19th Annual LEGO Exhibit | Daily | Dec 20 - March 30

Hundreds of LEGO creations are on display at the museum until March 30. [By donation]

Moss Street Winter Market | Saturdays | 10am-1pm

Discover local vendors, get farm-fresh produce, and listen to live music at this weekly market. [Free]

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That’s it!

Thanks for checking in this week. Hope you found something good to add to your calendar. If not, reply back and let us know what you’re looking for. Consider us your concierge to good times.

See you next week? Same time, same place.

✌️ TWIV

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