Fernwood Neighbourhood House is partnering with the community and local businesses to bring back FernFest this June
Photo courtesy of Pierre-Oliver McGeough.
On March 9, Fernwood Neighbourhood House (FNH) announced the cancellation of FernFest 2026, marking the first cancellation in its 28-year history. In a statement on their website, the group explained that the scope and expenses of FernFest had grown beyond what they were capable of while also maintaining their other programs and initiatives.
On May 7, it was announced that FernFest would return, though only for one day, on June 13.
This year, FernFest will be organized by a community partnership between FNH, the City of Victoria, LampPost Social, the Owl Designer Fair, Fernwood Makers Party, CREAM Life + Style, community organizers, local artists, and other supporters, including Aryze Developments.
Pierre-Olivier McGeough, co-founder of LampPost Social and a UVic grad, said that “the reaction of [FernFest] getting cancelled was one of the main reasons we wanted to step in…. It had such a reaction [with] people saying, ‘This is a thing I looked forward to every single year.’”
With the rise of festival and event cancellations due to rising prices, such as the Harbour Blues n’ Roots Festival and the Symphony Splash, McGeough feels it is important to keep FernFest going this year.
“In the midst of all these [festivals and events] being cancelled, if we can help bring at least one of these things back, then we’re going to put some effort into that,” he said.
McGeough explained that, while local festivals receive grant funding from the city, the grants are not enough to offset rising prices, especially if that funding remains the same or decreases each year.
For FernFest 2026, Victoria City Councillors Matt Dell and Jeremy Caradonna proposed a one-time $20 000 grant for the festival, which passed 6-2 on May 7. McGeough explained that given the one-month timeline to organize and plan for FernFest, the organizers were too late to apply for a Festival Investment Grant.
Aryze also announced it would be contributing $10 000 for the festival.
Despite the tight turnaround, McGeough isn’t feeling nervous. “I’m feeling the crunch in terms of hours and the amount of work we [need to] do, but in terms of anxiety, I know we can pull this together, and I know it’s going to be a killer event,” he said. McGeough cited the community as the reason for that confidence.
“They are so well connected. You ask about someone and they’re like, ‘We have four connections here that are willing to do it,.’” he said. “It was very impressive to see the amount of support that comes out of businesses and collective groups at Fernwood.”
FernFest 2026 will be held in the field behind the Fernwood Community Centre, instead of its usual place in the square in front of the Belfry Theatre and down Gladstone Ave.
McGeough explained that last year’s FernFest had an estimated 17 000 people over the two days it ran, and estimates they may see 8 500–10 000 visitors for FernFest 2026 based on last year’s numbers.
“We need to make sure there’s enough space for everyone [and] make sure everyone’s safe,” he said.
McGeough emphasized that the organizers’ goal for FernFest 2026 is “to bring the energy that we had and the inclusivity and acceptance we had from previous years and make it happen on such a smaller budget.” He said he wanted people to know that this year’s budget is nowhere near what it used to be — estimating about 20 per cent of the budget for last year’s FernFest.
But McGeough is excited for FernFest’s return, and given how the community has rallied to keep FernFest alive, that excitement is clearly mutual.
