Symphony by the Sea

Spring is the time to get out and explore and feed our awakening senses from the slumber of winter. There’s no better way to welcome the beauty and arrival of spring than to head to Nanaimo in March for Festival Nanaimo.

The fourth annual Festival Nanaimo happens from March 1 to 31 throughout the city.

A country escape awaits only minutes from Nanaimo. As the excitement for the holidays begins to build, do yourself a favour and indulge in a slower-paced experience, rather than the frantic feeling that can come along with Christmas shopping. Point your vehicle towards the rolling hills and meandering roads of Cedar and Yellowpoint, where dozens of artists are preparing right now for the 29th Annual Country Christmas Self-Guided Tour.

Whether you are gearing up for a White Christmas in Calgary, a green one on Vancouver Island, or are lucky enough to experience a combination of both, the holiday season evokes a magical air of cheer, wonder, and good tidings.

As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, it sure feels like the Christmas countdown has arrived, putting us in the mood for the annual Kris Kringle Craft Market in Nanaimo.

Have you ever wondered what Shakespeare’s works would be like if they were presented like sports commentary? How about if they were packaged as a rap?  

Summertime Blues is happening Aug. 24-27, 2017 at Maffeo Sutton Park. Pack your sunscreen, chairs, and blankets, and chill out while you enjoy more than 20 acts on the open-air stage.

Nanaimo’s Longwood Brewery craft its beers from the bounty of Vancouver Island, sourcing ingredients from places such as Cedar Valley Hops Yards and Castlewood Farms. With some supplies moving less than 15 kilometres, Longwood’s beers take drinking local to a whole new level.

You can call it the Harbour City, a historic coal town, home of the iconic Bastion and Diana Krall, birthplace of the bathtub race, and originator of one of the world’s most popular and beloved, dessert squares.

Vancouver Island can be known for it's moody, grey winters, but spring has sprung and the sunshine is out in full force. As summer approaches, dragon boat teams from all over the world start hitting the water to prepare for the Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival from July 7 to 9.

Getting out on the water is always a fantastic way to experience a place, especially when its nickname is the Harbour City, and you’re in a 12-person bathtub. Yes, a bathtub that not only fits 12 people, but is also seaworthy.  

Nanaimo’s history could be summed up with just a few words: “Bathtubs and Black Stones,” which is fittingly the name of a musical review and stage performance coming up this summer.

What do a Purple Pirate, dance, symphony, blues, whisky, craft beer, dogs, and Lion Bear Fox all have in common? They’re all a part of the amazing Festival Nanaimo

"Sausage on a bun with sauerkraut,” Kris Kringle requested as I sat across from him at Sandy’s Ukrainian Kitchen in Nanaimo. If you’re ever wondering what Santa Claus would order for lunch at a Ukrainian restaurant, there you have it.

I made Lazy Mike work pretty hard when he gave me a crash course in playing the harmonica. I met up with him at The Queens, a legendary Vancouver Island venue with a hardwood dance floor and walls, that if they could talk, would sing the blues.

“If you’re not on Island Time, you want to be,” Tracy Morgan says as she hands me a freshly-tapped pint of Longwood’s Island Time Lager

After getting tossed out of a bathtub on the waters off Nanaimo's Departure Bay, all Jamie Garcia could say, with a giant smile splashed across his face, was, “Does that thing ever rip!”

Nanaimo’s Feastival is a two-day celebration that celebrates both tasty ends of food spectrum - savoury and sweet.