Victoria: Breakwater Market Dec 18 (Thur) @199 Dallas Rd 4-9pm

+ Punk Holiday Market Dec 20 (Sat) @195 Bay St (Vic West) 11am-5pm

+ Moss Street Market Dec 20 (Sat) @Sir James Douglas School, 1330 Fairfield Rd 10am-1pm

+ Winter Indigenous Pop-Up Shop YYJ Artists Market Dec 20 (Sat) @1110 Hillside Ave 10am-3pm

Esquimalt: Esquimalt Farmers Market Dec 18 (Thur) @Esquimalt Recreational Centre 4:30-7pm

Saanich: Craft & Connect Dec 18 (Thur) @Luther Court Society Lounge, 1525 Cedar Hill Cross Rd 3-4pm

Metchosin: Yuletide Market Series Dec 19-21 (Fri-Sun) @Bilston Creek Farm, 4185 Metchosin Rd

View Royal: Community Bingo Dec 17 (Wed) @Strawberry Vale Community Club, 11 High St 7-10pm

+ Seasonal Sing-Along & Food Drive Dec 20 (Sat) @View Royal Community Hall, 279 Island Hwy 2-4pm

Victoria: Fernwood Comedy Night Dec 17 (Wed) @1302 Gladstone Ave 8-11pm

+ The Victoria Rock Choir Dec 18 (Thur) @932 Balmoral Rd 7pm

+ Candlelight: Vivaldi’s Four Season Dec 18 (Thur) @St. Ann’s Academy and Auditorium National Historic Site, 835 Humboldt St 6:30pm

+ Elf Movie Trivia with Sixty Watt Trivia Dec 18 (Thur) @Brickyard Pizza 784 Yates St 7pm

+ Elf in Concert Dec 20-21 (Sat-Sun) @Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton St

+ Soulstice Dec 21 (Sun) @The Coda, 751 View St. 6-8:30pm

Sidney: Pinocchio the Panto Dec 20-28 @Mary Winspear Centre, Charlie White Theatre, 2243 Beacon Ave

Victoria: Frontrunners Christmas Light Run Dec 17 (Wed) @3569 Shelbourne St 6:30pm

Oak Bay: Monterey Trip: Christmas Night of Lights Dec 17-18 (Wed-Thur) @  5:30-9pm (guided walk around Oak Bay: see brilliant light displays, sip hot chocolate and enjoy treats)

North Saanich: Winter Wonderland Family Skating Carnival Dec 20 (Sat) @Panorama Rec Centre, 1885 Forest Park Dr 11am-3pm

Langford: WinterFest Free Swim Dec 20 (Sat) @YMCA-YWCA Westhills, 1319 Westhills Dr. 12-4:45pm

+ Teen Winter Skating – Ages 12 to 18 Dec 20 (Sat) @City Centre Park, 1089 Langford Parkway, 8:15-9:30pm (FREE: but SD62 Student ID required for entry to teen-only outdoor ice skating – and fill out the digital liability waiver beforehand)

Esquimalt: *Grinch on the Gorge* Dec 20 (Sat) @Gorge Waterway, Departs Kinsmen Beach 11am to West Gorge, then back to Kinsmen Beach. You can watch and even participate in it! – See our News Bite story below for more details.

Esquimalt: Victoria Community Hanukkah Party Dec 18 (Thur) @TBA Register Here 5pm

Victoria: Connection Friday at Lights of Wonder Dec 19 (Fri) – Ferris Wheel Begins! @10 Centennial Square 5:30-10pm

+ Family Day at Lights of Wonder Dec 20 (Sat) @10 Centennial Square 4-10pm

+ Festive Bricks of Giving Until Dec 28 – Lego Displays & Interactive Play Stations @The Parkside Hotel, 810 Humboldt St. 9am-8pm

+ Festival of Trees Until Dec 31 @Bay Centre, 1150 Douglas St

+ Gingerbread Showcase Until Jan 4, 2026 @Hotel Grand Pacific, 463 Belleville St

Langford: Holiday Lego Exhibit Dec 9-21 @Westshore Town Centre, 2945 Jacklin Rd 10am-6pm (Sun-Wed) and 10am-8pm (Thur-Sat)

Sooke: Festival of Trees Until Dec 26 @SEAPARC Rec Centre, 2168 Phillips Rd

North Saanich: Gingerbread House Challenge Until Dec 31 @Panorama Recreation, 1885 Forest Park Dr (houses displayed all December)

Central Saanich: Lights Display at The Butchart Gardens Until Jan 6 @800 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay 3-9pm

Three unique family experiences we're excited about this week:

1. 🎅 Free Swim, Bounce House & Santa at Westhills– Dec 20 (Sat)

This is the ultimate Saturday setup! Head to Westhills YMCA/YWCA Winterfest (noon–4:30 PM) for FREE swimming, a bounce castle, crafts, games, hot chocolate, and photos with Santa. Plus, Family Glow Yoga at 4 PM if you want to zen out together. It's everything your kids have been asking for in one spot – and it won't cost you a dime. Adults 18+ need ID to access facilities.

2. ⛸️ Winter Wonderland Family Skating Carnival – Dec 20 (Sat)

North Saanich's Panorama Recreation Centre is transforming Arena A into a magical winter wonderland! From 11 AM–3 PM, enjoy free hot chocolate or popcorn, candy canes, painting on the ice (!), games, and visits from Santa and mascot Slider. The arena will be decked out with lights, trees, and festive inflatables. Skate rentals and helmets available, plus skating aids for beginners. Strollers and wheelchairs welcome on ice. It's holiday magic on blades!

3. 🎄 Grinch on the Gorge Paddle Parade – Dec 20 (Sat)

Esquimalt's most beloved green grump returns! Watch (or JOIN!) a festive flotilla of paddleboarders, kayakers, and canoeists dressed as elves, reindeer, and Whoville residents as they follow the Grinch along the Gorge Waterway. Departs Kinsmen Beach at 11 AM, returns around 12:30 PM for photos with the Grinch himself. Spectators: cheer from shore and bring food bank donations. Participants: bundle up—the water is COLD! (See our News Bite for full details.)

We just wanted to pause and say thank you to our Greater Victoria Scoop community. In just three months, we've grown to over 2,000 engaged subscribers across all 13 municipalities—and that's entirely because of you.

We're beginning to open up opportunities for local businesses to be part of this newsletter. Whether you're a restaurant, retailer, service provider, arts organization, or any business serving our communities—we'd love to explore how we can work together.

Our readers are families, active older adults, and community-minded locals who genuinely want to support Greater Victoria businesses. This isn't about traditional advertising—it's about building authentic connections within our shared community.

Interested? Simply hit reply to this email OR email us directly at [email protected] and tell us about your business. We'll get back to you with details.

Thank you for making this newsletter what it is. Here's to building community together. 💙✨

Esquimalt, brace yourselves—the Grinch is coming for your holiday cheer! But don't worry, his heart's already three sizes too big.

Metchosin resident Curtis Becker is bringing back his "Grinch on the Gorge" paddle for the fifth year. On Saturday, December 20 at 11 AM, he's inviting paddleboarders, kayakers, and canoeists to join him on the water in festive costumes—think elves, reindeer, or Whoville residents. The parade departs from Kinsmen Beach and travels along the Gorge Waterway.

Can't join the fun? Spectators can cheer from shore and are encouraged to bring food bank donations. When the flotilla returns around 12:30 PM, brave souls can snap photos with the green grump at Kinsmen Beach.

Important: The water is cold, so participants need proper safety gear and warm clothing.

[Read more Here]

When Reverend Sr. Ingrid Andersen couldn't spend Christmas 2023 with her son and daughter-in-law, she decided nobody in the community should face the holiday alone. Her solution? Host a free lunch at Colwood's Anglican Church of the Advent.

What started small has grown into a cherished tradition. This Christmas marks the third annual Home Alone Christmas Lunch, with 80 guests expected—the most yet. The celebration features a full feast, caroling, games, and genuine warmth.

The crowd welcomes everyone: retirees, students, anyone whose family lives far away. The atmosphere is intentionally inclusive and welcoming—a remedy for seasonal isolation.

Christmas Day, noon, 510 Mount View Ave. RSVP required: 250-474-3031. All are welcome.

[Read More Here]