Each month Used.ca sponsors community events on Vancouver Island. We are excited to share with you the upcoming events in your own backyard!
- Victoria Beer Week – April 1-9
- Greater Victoria Festival Society Irish Whiskey Hooley – March 13
- Thrifty Foods St. Patrick’s Day Festival – March 13
- Greater Victoria Flower Count – March 9-16
- Wounded Warrior BC Run– February 27 – March 6
- Wild Play Naked Bungy Jump for Mental Health – March 5-6
- Ryder Hesjedal’s Tour de Victoria – August 20
- TC10K – April 24
- Salvaged art supplies put to good (re)use at SUPPLY POP—UP – Thursdays and Saturdays until May 28
- Used.ca and The Bay Centre Spring Clothing Swap – April 30
- Dodd’s Furniture Locals Helping Locals from Abroard – March 19
- Esquimalt 5K – April 9
- An Evening of Black and White…Because Grey Matters Gala Supporting Victoria Brain Injury Society – May 14
- Broadmead Care Shred-A-Thon – April 23
Victoria Beer Week – April 1-9
The 8th annual festival celebrating Victoria’s craft beer culture returns after 2 years to a much-anticipated crowd of craft beer lovers. This Beer Week includes a mix of 12 events over 9 days, including some favourites from past years along with some bold new twists. With a focus on education and diverse craft beer selection, VBW 2022 will feature more than 50 BC craft breweries. Victoria Beer Week launched back in 2014, it has since become a successful annual festival creating craft beer ambassadors out of regular beer consumers. Full Beer School Programming is coming in January 2022. Tickets are on sale now at victoriabeersociety.com or in person at the Victoria Beer Society Headquarters (2725 Rock Bay Avenue)
Greater Victoria Festival Society Irish Whiskey Hooley – March 13
Join us at The Greater Victoria Festival Society for our 4th Irish Whiskey Hooley supporting our St. Patrick’s Day Festival on Sunday, March 13 with our Fabulous Co-Hosts The Irish Times Pub! Purchase tickets here.
DATE: March 13
LOCATION: Irish Times Pub ~ 1200 Government Street
TIME: 12-3pm
COST: $75.00
Advance Sales Only. Must be 19+ to attend
Thrifty Foods St. Patrick’s Day Festival – March 13
Join us downtown on March 13 for our 4th Annual Saint Patrick’s Family Fun Day!
This is a FREE Community Event graciously presented by Chek TV and the Greater Victoria Festival Society.
Live Entertainment
Food Vendors
Crafts
Games
Dress in your #LeprechaunBest and bring the kids down for some awesome fun!
Greater Victoria Flower Count – March 9-16
The Greater Victoria Flower Count, sponsored and organized by Destination Greater Victoria, the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, and Used.ca, is a light-hearted event focused on spreading spring cheer. Victorians spend this week exploring their neighbourhoods, eagerly counting and snapping photographs of the early blooms that decorate our communities.
This year marks the 47th Annual Flower Count, and we are encouraging community members to track blossoms and #ExploreVictoraLocal safely. Using photos tagged with #ExploreVictoriaLocal and #FlowerCount, we will be assembling a virtual bouquet to share with Canada as a show of beauty in times of challenge. That’s not all – every day of Flower Count Week, Used.ca’s Find The Hidden Bloom contest allows one virtual flower hunter to walk away with a fabulous local prize package. We invite you to search UsedVictoria.com’s pages for the daily hidden bloom ad between March 9 and 16 and fill in contact details once you find it. Good luck, and happy counting!
Wounded Warrior BC Run- February 27 – March 6
The Wounded Warrior Run BC was created to bring awareness and raise funds for Wounded Warriors Canada. Between February 27 and March 6 a team of eight dedicated runners will run relay-style the length of Vancouver Island in just eight consecutive days, covering more than 700kms.
Wounded Warriors Canada is a national mental health charity whose mission is to honour and support Canada’s ill and injured Canadian Armed Forces members, Veterans, First Responders, and their families.
Anyone can join the Wounded Warrior Run BC team! Introducing the National Virtual Run. Join our team by running in your own community 1k, 5kms, 10kms, or 21kms. Money raised from the event will be tallied toward our main event goal of $250,000. Click here to donate.
Wild Play Naked Bungy Jump for Mental Health – March 5-6
You’re invited to the 16th annual Naked Bungy Jump fundraiser at WildPlay Nanaimo!
Dates: March 5-6, 2022
Take the leap from WildPlay’s 150ft Bungy Bridge to help Mental Health Recovery Partners (MHRP) provide life-saving mental health programs on Vancouver Island. Jump in the buff for $55 or raise $200+ in pledges and plunge FOR FREE! All event proceeds will be matched by an anonymous donor and donated to MHRP. Minimum age 18+ to be on site. Email donation-related questions to admin@mhrp.ca. Space is limited and always sells out – register today to secure your spot!
Do something legendary. Soar from a bridge naked for mental health.
More info + sign up: https://www.wildplay.com/naked-bungy
Ryder Hesjedal’s Tour de Victoria – August 20
Cyclists of all ages and abilities are welcome to ride Ryder Hesjedal’s Tour de Victoria presented by Scotiabank on August 20th.
If you haven’t heard, Victoria is known as the Cycling Capital of Canada and the Tour de Victoria showcases the best of it! What sets the riding in Victoria apart from other cycling destinations is the scenery and variety of terrain.
Ride the Tour de Victoria and you’ll experience oceanfront riding alongside beaches and cliffs, rolling rural roads through vineyards and farmlands, challenging mountain roads through stunning coastal rainforests, and NO highway riding. Combine this with eight ride distances to choose from, superb traffic control, ride support, a family-friendly finish festival; the Tour de Victoria is truly a world-class event!
TC10K – April 24
The TC10K is back in-person for the first time since 2019! For more than 30 years, this community event has been the spirit of recreational runners and walkers from near and far, bringing people of all ages together to walk and run through some of the most scenic parts of Victoria. As well as having an in-person event, we are also offering a virtual option this year!
The TC10K and Runsport are also proud to partner with a number of charities from across BC and Canada. When you sign up for the TC10K, you also have the option to collect pledges and/or donate to your favorite charity! For a list of the charities that we have partnered with, visit https://runsport.ca/partners-1
If there’s anything these last few years have taught us, it’s that we’re better together! Join us on April 24th, 2022! Visit tc10k.ca for more info and to register today!
Salvaged art supplies put to good (re)use at SUPPLY POP—UP
In just the first two weeks, a North Park pop-up has provided over 200 people with free art supplies diverted from the landfill. “It has been such a positive experience for our community,” says Ashley Howe, founder of the nonprofit, SUPPLY Victoria.
On February 3, 2022, SUPPLY transformed the North Park Neighborhood’s lending hub into a tiny free thrift store for art supplies. The space is filled with cast-off materials like fabric sample swatches, stickers, and writing utensils in every colour of the rainbow.
Since 2018, SUPPLY has diverted over 2,000 pounds of materials from the landfill and offered creative reuse education (showing people how to upcycle waste into art) to over 500 students. “This whole thing is about removing barriers to access. Everyone deserves the right to express themselves.”
Whether you’re a teacher, artist, parent, or need some pink memo pads for your office, make sure to stop by the SUPPLY POP—UP on Vancouver Street in North Park Thursday-Saturday, 2-6pm until May 28.
Follow them on Instagram @supplyvictoria or learn more at www.supplyvictoria.ca/shop or www.npna.ca/vancouver-street-plaza.
Used.ca and The Bay Centre Spring Clothing Swap – April 30
Save the Date! Our Clothing Swap is back!
Join the Bay Centre and Used.ca for our Clothing Swap on Saturday, April 30, 2022, from 10 am to 6 pm. Registered participants will leave with up to 10 new-to-you items, just in time for the spring/summer season.
Clothing Swap appointments will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Although you do not need to book an appointment to drop off clothes, you do need to be a registered participant in the Clothing Swap prior to donating clothes.
Make it a group date! Group bookings up to 6 spaces will be available.
Must be 18+ to participate.
Important dates:
- Registration Opens | March 16, 2022
- Clothing Drop-off | April 9 – 24, 2022
- Clothing Swap | April 30, 2022 10am – 6pm
Dodd’s Furniture Locals Helping Locals from Abroad – March 19
We are overwhelmed and sincerely humbled by Gordy’s generosity.We look forward to working together in support of Ukrainian refugees, as they begin to arrive in the coming weeks.”– Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Victoria Branch.
Dodd’s be accepting donations of donations of soap, socks, shampoo, sleeping bags & more at Dodd’s Victoria, Nanaimo and Campbell River until April 3rd, 2022. Their goal is to help fill a shipping container full of items, destined for the Compassionate Resource Warehouse and the people of Ukraine.
Esquimalt 5K- April 9
A community-minded 5K open to all ages and abilities. Touted as one of the nicest 5K routes, come and enjoy a beautiful course that takes you through some gorgeous Esquimalt Parks. This is an excellent race to put your training to the test before the spring and summer run series gets into full swing. Package pick-up and post race activities will be held at the Archie Browning Sports Centre complete with kids zone, prizes, a marketplace and more. Plan to come for the run and stay for the fun! See full details on-line closer to the event date. Kids 1K starts at 9:00am and the 5K starts at 9:30am. Activities continue until 12:00pm. Register on-line at esquimalt.ca/parks-recreation; or in person or over the phone through the Esquimalt Recreation Centre.
An Evening of Black and White…Because Grey Matters Gala Supporting Victoria Brain Injury Society – May 14
An Evening of Black and White… Because Grey Matters is an annual Fundraising Gala in support of the Victoria Brain Injury Society. This gala has built a reputation as one of the most elegant and exciting charitable events on Vancouver Island, featuring decadent local food, drinks, entertainment, and prizes!
Broadmead Care Shred-A-Thon – April 23, 2022
Broadmead Care’s Shred-A-Thon is taking place on Saturday, April 23, 2022 from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM in the Lower Parking Lot of Veterans Memorial Lodge: 4579 Chatterton Way, Victoria BC. This event is a fun and unique way to support adults aged 19 to 55 who require long term care. Bring your confidential paper documents for secure shredding on site with the help of Shred-It®. Quick, easy, no-contact service, all in support of the people who call Nigel House home. Suggestion contribution is just $10 per bankers box! You can even pre-pay for your shredding online. Visit www.BroadmeadCare.com/Shred-a-Thon for full event details!
That should keep us busy this March! If you’d like Used.ca to be a sponsor of your event on Vancouver Island, please contact our Community Manager, Carly.