This week's Greater Victoria brings astronomers setting up telescopes for solar viewing, Canada's largest traveling amusement park rolling into town, and a fearless small dog who chased an elk down a street (the video is spectacular). There's also forest bathing for those seeking calm, two gigantic community garage sales where treasure hunting is the sport, and a big outdoor adventure show.
Families can also run an untimed 1.5K together where nobody's watching the clock. Meanwhile, Royal Roads University just got ranked the world's ninth most beautiful campus, and honestly, we aren't surprised.
40+ events in this week’s Scoop. [Subscribe for free] and don’t miss the good stuff happening across all 13 municipalities of Greater Victoria.
Markets & Crafts
Sooke: Clothing Swap & Spring Crafts April 22 (Wed) @2065 Drennan St 5-7pm
+ Biggest Garage Sale in Sooke April 25 (Sat) @2168 Philips Rd 9am-12:30pm
+ Sooke Country Market April 25 (Sat) @7149 West Coast Rd 10am-2pm
Esquimalt: Esquimalt Farmers Market April 23 (Thur) @1200 Esquimalt Rd 4:30-7:30pm
+ Gigantic Garage Sale April 25 (Sat) @Archie Browning Arena 9am-1:30pm
Langford: Soul & Sage Pop-up Retreat April 25 (Sat) @761 Station Ave 10am-4pm
+ Belmont Spring Market April 25 (Sat) @3041 Langford Lake Rd 10am-4pm
Victoria: Spring-O-Ween Market 2026 April 25 (Sat) @560 Johnson St 10am-4pm
+ Spring Clothing Swap at the Bay Centre April 25 (Sat) @1150 Douglas St 10am-2pm
Saanich: St. Luke’s Spring Fair April 25 (Sat) @3821 Cedar Hill X Rd 10am-2pm
Adventures led by women designed to make a difference.
Trek the Andes with an all-female crew in Peru. Join a women-run tuk tuk tour in Cambodia. Enjoy a traditional hot stone bath experience at a women-owned farmhouse in Bhutan. Intrepid’s new small-group Women’s Expeditions in Peru, Cambodia and Bhutan provide immersive local experiences for travellers while supporting women-run businesses.
Arts & Entertainment
Victoria: Culinary Trivia Night April 21 (Tue) @Hecklers 123 Gorge Rd East
+ Gluck’s Orpheus & Eurydice April 22-28 @Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton St
+ RUMPUS April 24 (Fri) @Upstairs 15 Bastion Square 10pm-2am
+ Back 2 Back: OB1Keoni, Lucy Ford, MyLove, GURU April 24 (Fri) @The Downbeat 1325 Government St 9pm-2am
+ Daniel Lapp’s Joy of Life Concerts April 24-25 (Fri-Sat) @900 Johnson St
+ Talent Show Social April 26 (Sun) @The Roxy 2657 Quadra St 6:30pm
+ Monterey Open Mic April 26 (Sun) @Monterey Rec Centre 1:30-3pm
Colwood: Open Mic & Music April 22 (Wed) @Arts and Culture Colwood Society, 170 Goldfinch Rd 6:15-8:30pm
View Royal: Bingo April 22 (Wed) @Strawberry Vale Community Club, 11 High St 7pm
Oak Bay: GREASE April 23 (Thur) @Dave Dunnet Community Theatre, 2121 Cadboro Bay Rd 7-9pm
Saanich: West Coast Rhythmic Gymnastics ‘Spring Fling Show’ April 25 (Sat) @St-Margaret’s School, 1090 Lucas Ave 9am-1pm
Sooke: Sooke For Laughs Comedy Night April 25 (Sat) @2037 Shields Rd 8pm
Family Fun: Our Top 3 Picks
Apr 23-26 (Thur-Sun) @Mayfair Shopping Centre
Canada's largest traveling amusement park rolls into Mayfair with rides, games, and midway treats. Big thrills for older kids, gentle rides for little ones, classic carnival games, and all the sweet snacks you remember. Thursday through Sunday means multiple chances to go.
Apr 25 (Sat), 10am-3pm @675 Belleville St, Victoria
Meet astronomers, explore telescopes, watch solar viewing on the museum grounds, and dive into astrophotography exhibits. Kids' activities, telescope show-and-tell, and info tables covering everything from responsible lighting to sky simulations. Special IMAX screenings: Asteroid Hunters (11am), A Beautiful Planet 3D (1pm), Deep Sky (3pm). Science adventure for all ages.
Apr 26 (Sun), 10:45am @Legislative Grounds, Victoria
An untimed, relaxed run where the whole family moves together. Perfect for making memories and celebrating community—no pressure, just smiles and steps. Kids under eight need an adult buddy (who should register too). Cheer on runners tackling the TC 10K or join the 1.5K yourself. Gear check opens 6:30am. This is about being together, not racing clocks.
Community & Creative
Metchosin: 65+ Bus Trip to Pedder Bay Marina April 23 (Thur) @4495 Happy valley Rd 10am-12pm
Central Saanich: Herb Hanging Basket Workshop April 25 (Sat) @6536 West Saanich Rd 1:30-2:30pm
Esquimalt: Small Space Gardening Workshop April 25 (Sat) @539 West Bay Terr 11am-2pm
Saanich: Spring Plant Sale 2026 April 25-26 (Sat-Sun) @The Gardens at HCP, 505 Quayle Rd
+ Taste of India – Spice and Savour April 27 (Mon) @780 Vernon Ave 6-9:30pm
Colwood: Forest Bathing April 26 (Sun) @ Royal Roads University 9:30am-12:30pm
+ Victoria Outdoor Adventure Show April 26-28 (Sun-Tue) @JDF Arena, 1767 Island Hwy
News Bites
🦌 Tiny Dog, Giant Elk, Zero Fear
There's a saying: it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. A small white dog proved that in Lake Cowichan by chasing a Roosevelt elk down the street. To appreciate just how brave (or foolish) this dog was, watch this local CHEK News video which captures the size difference spectacularly. Neither animal was hurt, luckily.
🏰 Royal Roads in Colwood Named 9th Most Beautiful Campus
House Beautiful Magazine ranked Royal Roads University ninth most beautiful campus worldwide, and locals are nodding. The Colwood campus features Hatley Castle (filming location for X-Men, Deadpool, Smallville, MacGyver, and more), 642 acres of greenery, Japanese gardens, and Strait of Juan de Fuca views. Our Facebook cover is the ocean view in front of Royal Roads—we've been fans for a while. Never visited? Walk Esquimalt Lagoon and make the campus your next stop. A hidden gem worth discovering.
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Active & Outdoors
Greater Victoria: Pathfinders Walking Club – Walks this week: Oak Bay (April 22), Victoria (April 25), Esquimalt (April 27)
Metchosin: Exploring Indigenous Perspectives (Guided Walk) – All Ages April 25 (Sat) @Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park 10-11:30am
Saanich: Gotta Snap ’em All! (Guided Walk) – All Ages April 26 (Sun) @Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park 1:30-3pm
🌅 On the Horizon
Planning ahead? Here are a few events worth noting:
Esquimalt: Buccaneer Days Market Place May 9 @Archie Browning Arena
Victoria: Indigenous Pop Up Shop Mother’s Day Market May 9 @1110 Hillside Ave
+ Menopolooza 2 May 15-17 @Victoria Conference Centre
Have a great week Greater Victoria! 💙
