This late summer guide will help you embrace the best cultural offerings in and around Victoria
Wall of Portraits, Francis Dick. Various dates. Legacy Downtown. Walking Thru My Fires (Francis Dick).
As classes begin and September promises a flurry of new assignments, you can still soak up the last of the summer with vibrant cultural programming across the city of Victoria. Fill your weekends with fun and affordable events, travel across the world, sample new cuisines and even learn some new moves. This late-summer guide has some of the best cultural offerings in the city, so you can make your evenings and weekends as enriching as those classes!
Step onto nature’s stage with Infinity Gardens
- When: Performances until Sept. 3, various times
- Where: Finnerty Gardens, University of Victoria
- Cost: $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors (+service fee)
Victoria’s Fringe Festival showcases adventurous and entertaining theater productions from local creators. Infinity Gardens allows viewers to surround themselves with culture in this immersive, site-specific play that takes place in UVic’s own Finnerty Gardens. GutPunch Theatre, a student collective launched this year, and award-winning playwright Kevin Kerr ask the audience to journey with characters and embrace the natural landscape around them.
Tickets are available online through Intrepid Theatre.
Last chance to catch Walking Thru My Fires by Francis Dick at Legacy Art Gallery
- When: Until Sept. 9, Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. ( Thursdays 12–7 p.m.)
- Where: Legacy Art Gallery, 630 Yates St.
- Cost: Free entry
Celebrate the works of “one of the most prolific living Indigenous artists on the West Coast,”Francis Dick, through an intimate display. Experience her journey through paintings, prints, jewelry, and wood cuts, delving into personal memories and challenges. A UVic social work graduate, Dick turned to art to document her experiences as an urban Indigenous person, residing in Victoria since the 1980s. This exhibition documents her decades-long career, poignantly addressing the abuse and trauma of the residential school system and the lasting impacts on Dick and her loved ones. Amidst the flames of her life’s path, glimmers of light and hope emerge too, though navigating tough materials is part of the experience. Don’t miss this impactful exhibit before it closes.
Open Studio, Francis Dick, Walking Thru My Fires, 2023. Legacy Art Gallery (Downtown).
Fall into the rhythm with Latin Dance Victoria
- When: Sept. 2, 8, and 16 from 8 p.m.–12 a.m.
- Where:Victoria Ukrainian Cultural Centre, 3277 Douglas St.
- Cost: $15 Cover
If your goal was to learn a new skill this summer, it’s not too late. Feel the beats of Salsa, Bachata, and Merengue with affordable summer sessions hosted by Latin Dance Victoria at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre. The sessions start at 8 p.m. with a lesson to help you master the steps, followed by a social dance to test your moves and practice fun, passionate dance styles. No partner? No problem! These sessions are open to all, including beginners. You’ll be lighting up the dance floor in no time.
Experience a “cultural mosaic” at In Sight Festival
- Sept. 9 from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sept. 10 from 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
- Where: Fisgard Lighthouse and Fort Rodd Hill
- Cost: Free entry
Soak up the coastal scenery and charm of Colwood at the second annual In Sight Festival. Bringing individuals together at the historic Fisgard Lighthouse, this two-day event kicks off with a traditional performance by Lekwungen dancers. This free, weekend-long festival is packed with dance, food, and interactive arts. Here, you can see aerial acrobatics, experience outdoor painting, and meet local artisans. This festival promises an amazing “mosaic” of art for everyone.
Journey to Africa with ISSAMBA’s La Calebasse de Nomade
- When: Sept. 22 to Oct. 8 from 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Where: Victoria Public Market
- Cost: Admission free or by donation
Immerse yourself in vibrant culture this fall. Head down to Victoria Public Market in late September for daily programming hosted by the ISSAMBA African art and culture center . Embrace African and Caribbean traditions by savoring the cuisines, learning about traditional dances, and enjoying drumming performances as part of B.C.’s Culture Days. Programs are offered in English and French, with gender-neutral washrooms and wheelchair accessibility.
