Homegrown plants, veggies and fruit on display at Fall Fairfield festival
The Fairfield-Gonzales area will be a brightly-hued hub of activity this weekend as the grounds of Robert J. Porter Park will home to a free community event.
Fall Fairfield marks the arrival of harvest season with a wide-ranging event that runs from noon until 4 p.m. on Sunday. The popular music, art, craft and food festival, now in its 14th year, includes everything from Clown Car (an all-ages drag show) to a pie contest. Presented by the Fairfield Gonzales Community Association, the event includes live performances by Zonnis (12-1 p.m.), Clown Car (1:15-1:45 p.m.), Oldest Man I Know (2-2:45 p.m.), and Tyler James Johnson (3-4 p.m.), with local vendors providing food, beer and cider.
Children will have the opportunity to visit with rescue animals courtesy of Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders, or get crafty at harvest hat and bracelet making stations. The event’s first-ever harvest contest celebrates growing season with homegrown plants, vegetables, and fruits on display. Prize winners in the Largest Vegetable, Indigenous & Native Plant, and Most Unique Harvest category will be announced on site. Fall Fairfield’s seventh annual pie contest will fête local bakers in the community, as voted on by local professionals.
Robert J. Porter Park is located at 1350 Fairfield Rd. For more information on Fall Fairfield, visit fairfieldcommunity.ca.
Students to showcase their engineering talents at Bay Street Armoury
Rainhouse Manufacturing and the University of Victoria will host an engineering showcase at the Bay Street Armoury on Friday afternoon.
Students in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math will have the opportunity to present their groundbreaking projects at the national historic site, ranging from innovative robotics and submarines to rockets and satellites. Prizes will be awarded to outstanding student teams.
The Bay Street Armoury is located at 715 Bay St. Admission is free, but guests must register in advance at eventbrite.ca.
B.C. Rivers Day celebrates six Vancouver Island waterways
Community events in over 30 locations across the province make up the 44th annual B.C. Rivers Day, the country’s largest river appreciation event.
The celebration staged by the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C. includes riverside clean-ups, plantings, educational presentations, interactive booths and displays, group paddles, and riverside hikes at six Vancouver Island locations, from Nanaimo to Port Hardy.
Founded in 1980, B.C. Rivers Day has grown into a worldwide event, and is now one of the planet’s largest environmental celebrations, with more than 100 countries participating in World Rivers Day across six continents this year.
“Our rivers are threatened by pollution, habitat loss, industrial development, invasive species, and climate change,” Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C. communication and engagement officer Soraya Olszewski said in a statement. “B.C. Rivers Day provides a meaningful opportunity to learn about and give back to the rivers that connect us.”
Registered events on Vancouver Island this weekend include: Haig-Brown Festival in Campbell River; Family Watershed Day in Courtenay; B.C. Rivers Day in Nanaimo; Alberni Valley Rivers Day in Port Alberni; B.C. Rivers Day in Port Hardy; and Blue Ecology Hope for the Future in Qualicum Beach.
For more information, visit orcbc.ca/events.
