Summer Snob

I don’t consider myself a snob, I am a pretty friendly fun loving guy. (Hopefully there isn’t an awkward silence in your head after reading that…) but when it comes to one thing I am unashamedly a snob about, it is weather.

Don’t get me wrong - fall is nice with its great colours, and spring can be nice too with the thawing and the expectation of summer—but summer is what I live for! (Winter does not even get a mention as I pretty much detest it and tolerate it only because of its necessary pressure for Mother Nature’s cycle, although it does make for some amazing pictures on postcards).

Summer is fantastic with the hot, short and t-shirt weather, daylight until around 10 pm and best of all, sun! Victoria can get a lot of rain and be very overcast which means a lot of grey dreary so the sun is very appreciated! (just to be clear, I am not complaining because I know that compared to the rest of Canada we don’t have a lot to complain about! But those are just to name a few reasons why I love summer. There is also so much to do! There are a ton of restaurants and coffee shops with patios, lots of parks and free events.

Here is a list of fun events and activities that I have come up with, did I miss anything? Make sure and comment tolet us know what events you love to attend over the summer!

GET INVOLVED!

Summer is activity season for most cities—tourism is booming, and there’s tons of opportunities to get involved in community happenings in your local areas! Here are just a few—

Canada Day Celebrations

Canada Day Celebrations should be a staple in anybody’s summer plans and the best part is that there are celebrations everywhere so you don’t even have to go that far to celebrate!

Summer Camps

Summer camps are a great way to get out there and meet new people and the best part is that you can find one based on your own interests. You can find them at your local recreation centre, or even at a University (often different departments will run different ones so you can find the right one for you). Talk to Navi about getting free registration for some Vancouver camps.

Music/Arts & Culture Festivals

These types of events are a great way of connecting communities, and educating and exposing individuals to different cultures. Plus, the arts are great for the soul! Local newspapers often advertise for these, or even a quick Google for upcoming shows to your city can help give some great insight on performances and events you may never have known existed—from ethnic food festivals, to an open mic night at a local café—give it a try!

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS:

MUSIC
Rock the Shores (Victoria)—July 13-14 in the fields close to Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre.
http://www.tourismvictoria.com/includes/events/event/1852/

Buskers Festival (Victoria)—July 19-28 at Various locations across Victoria. (Free to attend)
http://www.hellobc.com/servicefelisting/all-events/4571649/victoria-international-buskers-festival-2013.aspx?KWDS=&LOCID=552&NBY=True&FLID=552&PN=4

Rifflandia (Victoria) (Technically in the fall. September 12-15). Takes place at various locations around Victoria and has a variety of musical acts.http://rifflandia.com/

Vancouver Folk Fest (Vancouver) - July19th-21st at Jericho Beach. http://thefestival.bc.ca/

ARTS/CULTURE
Royal BC Museum (Victoria)—There are various, camps, lectures and IMAX screenings going on throughout the summer.
http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/

Dragon Boat Festival (Victoria)—August 16-18. Victoria Inner harbor.http://www.victoriadragonboat.com/

Car shows—From the Vintage Cadllac Car show in July to the Classic Car Nights at various locations throughout Victoria throughout the summer.

Day and Night Markets—There are various day and night markets throughout Victoria and other municipalities, including Victoria Chinatown, Sidney, Vancouver Chinatown, and Richmond.

Food Cart Fest (Vancouver) - Every Sunday until September 22nd, located on 1st Ave near the Cambie bridge. http://www.insidevancouver.ca/2013/06/13/vancouver-summer-food-cart-fest-returns-tasty-eats-every-sunday-june-23-sept-22/

Movie Nights—Friday and Saturday Nights at Beacon Hill Park (Victoria), and Tuesday nights in Stanley Park (Vancouver).http://freebfilmfest.com/, http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2013/06/free-outdoor-movies-vancouver-2013-stanley-park/

SPORTS
Harbour Cats Baseball (Victoria) games take place at Royal Athletic Park throughout the summer, and Vancouver Canadians games (Vancouver) are ongoing at Nat Bailey Stadium. Don’t forget the BC Lions, Whitecaps, and so many others!

For a larger list of things to do in BC, visit—http://www.hellobc.com/british-columbia/things-to-do.aspx
For the Yukon, visit—http://travelyukon.com/Explore/Events
Make sure and comment to let us know about cool events we missed!


- Nate