Here’s what you need to know about the 120th annual Victoria Day parade on Monday, May 21, 2018.
It's over — but you can watch it here!
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What’s going on?
It’s the May long weekend, and there’s a full schedule of events to celebrate. The parade is the big draw, but there are other events, too:
Sunday
• Festival of Bands — B.C. legislature lawn. See the schedule here
• Parade of Bands — B.C. legislature lawn, 2 to 3 p.m.
• Drum Battle — B.C. legislature lawn, 3 to 4 p.m.
• 44th annual Decorated Boat Parade — Four yacht clubs from Canada and the U.S. come together to showcase the beauty of their boats. 12:30 p.m. in the Inner Harbour.
Monday
• Island Farms Victoria Day Parade — Douglas Street, starting at 9 a.m. The parade is expected to last about three hours.
• Celebration Square — Family fun from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Centennial Square! Enjoy children's entertainers, crafts, bouncy castles, face painting, a climbing wall and grab a bit to eat food trucks.
What is the route?
The parade goes down Douglas Street from Finlayson Street (near Mayfair Shopping Centre) to Humboldt Street.
What is there to see?
There are more than 100 entries in all. There will be floats, but the big draw for many are the the marching bands from Victoria, Canada and the U.S.
This year's theme is "Blast from the Past" and there will be a Humboldt Broncos tribute.
What else?
There will be a flypast by a Sea King helicopter from 443 Squadron at 8:55 a.m. and F-18 Hornets at 8:58 a.m., and there’s a 21-gun salute at 1 p.m. And check out Centennial Square, which will have bouncy castles, a climbing wall, balloons and performances from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Be prepared!
You might appreciate a chair or blanket to sit on, along with water and snacks. The weather forecast is calling for sun, making a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses essential, but it never hurts to be ready for rain as well (this is Victoria, after all).
What if I don’t want to leave the house?
No problem! Victoria Buzz is live-streaming the event, CHEK is broadcasting it on television, and we'll have coverage on our website and in Tuesday's newspaper.
Road closures
Douglas Street from Tolmie to Belleville Streets will be closed to all vehicle traffic during the parade.
The main intersections located near the start of the parade will close to traffic at 7 a.m. These intersections will include:
- Burnside at Douglas
- Finlayson at Burnside
- Finlayson at Blanshard
Douglas Street from Burnside to Humboldt will be closed at 8 a.m.
What about parking?
Parking will be free at the five city-owned parkades and at on-street meters on Sunday and Monday. On-street parking will not be available along the parade route.
