EVENTS CALENDAR

Festivals and events

Embrace the eclectic energy of Nanaimo at our Bathtub Races, a thrilling tribute to our marine heritage, or get lost in the magic of our Lantern Festival, join the city in colour for our Pride Festival, Jazz fest and more. Every season brings something new and exciting, ensuring that no two visits to Nanaimo are ever the same.

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Calendar of Events

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Island Roots Farmers’ Market

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shnu’a’th, ᐊᑳᒥᕽ akâmihk, the other side

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shnu’a’th, ᐊᑳᒥᕽ akâmihk, the other side

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2024 Nanaimo Fine Art Show

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shnu’a’th, ᐊᑳᒥᕽ akâmihk, the other side

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2024 Nanaimo Fine Art Show

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a Homemade Christmas Makers Market

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Protection Island Art Walk 2024

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2024 Nanaimo Fine Art Show

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a Homemade Christmas Makers Market

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A Very Witchy Holiday Market

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24th Annual Bicycle Film Festival

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Vancouver Island Symphony presents Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue

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a Homemade Christmas Makers Market

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2024 Nanaimo Fine Art Show

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Holiday Open House at Gardenworks

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shnu’a’th, ᐊᑳᒥᕽ akâmihk, the other side

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PaperWorks: Printmakers of the Salish Sea

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Oas-City: 17th Annual Urban Issues Film Festival

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Nanaimo Artwalk 2024

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One in Spirit Festival

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Nanaimo Artwalk 2024

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Love’s in Need of Love

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Island Roots Farmers’ Market

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Joëlle & Buwa: Just the 2 of Us

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shnu’a’th, ᐊᑳᒥᕽ akâmihk, the other side

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Vancouver Island Symphony presents Reindeer Games… The Sequel

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All Day

Sun Over Swamp

Nanaimo Art Gallery 150 Commercial Street, Nanaimo

Sun Over Swamp is an exhibition that takes its title from a 1964 painting by Takao Tanabe and features five artists who consider ecology through diverse approaches to abstract painting. Working on canvas, linen, wood, and ceramic, artists in Sun Over Swamp reflect on our fragile yet globally interconnected biomes. From tracing the environmental footprint of their materials, to employing storytelling, mythology, artificial intelligence, and embodied learning in their processes; Rebecca Brewer, Azadeh Elmizadeh, Rita Letendre, Gailan Ngan, and Takao Tanabe consider unknowably vast and complex lifeworlds through the practice of abstract painting. Tours are available on Fridays at noon through the run of the exhibition. Nanaimo Art Gallery is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm and Sundays from 12 to 5 pm. Admission is by-donation.

By Donation/Free for Members

Nanaimo Pride Week

This year's Nanaimo Pride Week celebrates the importance of being yourself. Starting with a flag raising ceremony and culminating with the Pride Parade and Festival downtown, this week is full of celebration, including: June 4 - Flag Raising June 7 - Sober Pride June 8 - 19+ Dance June 9 - Parade and Festival

Free
Ongoing

Concerts in the Park

The City of Nanaimo's Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture is pleased to announce the schedule for the 2024 Concerts in the Park series. The free concerts showcase local talent against the backdrop of some of Nanaimo's most beautiful parks. Concert-goers will have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of music genres, including motown, indie rock, folk/blues, and celtic. Audience members are reminded to bring a chair or a blanket and to dress for the weather. New this year are a number of double or triple feature shows which will allow families to enjoy a variety of entertainment along with a picnic or dinner in the park! The 2024 schedule is as follows: ·         Sun, May 12, 1-2 p.m. - Laura Kelsey at Colliery Dam Park (as part of Family Fishing Day) ·         Fri, May 17, 6-8:15 p.m. - Mostly Motown and Turnpike at Maffeo Sutton Park (double feature in partnership with Food Truck Fridays) ·         Wed, June 12, 6-7 p.m. - Baby Bleu at Kin Park ·         Fri, June 28, 5-8:30 p.m. - The Shindigs, Danger Box and Maverick Cinema at Maffeo Sutton Park (triple feature in partnership with Food Truck Fridays) ·         Wed, July 10, 6-7 p.m. - Dagger Harbour at McGregor Park ·         Wed, July 17, 6-7 p.m. - String Fever at Pipers Lagoon Park ·         Wed, July 31, 6-7 p.m. - Cosmic Dust at Harewood Centennial Park ·         Wed, Aug 7, 6-7 p.m. - Piu at the Bowen Park Amphitheatre ·         Wed, Aug 14, 6-7 p.m. - Dublin2 at Oliver Woods ·         Wed, Aug 21, 6-7 p.m. - Mike Alviano at Westwood Lake Park ·         Fri, August 23, 6-8:15 p.m. - Sundown: The Gordon Lightfoot Experience and The Shineolas at Maffeo Sutton Park (double feature in partnership with Food Truck Fridays) A schedule with further details on each performance is available on the City of Nanaimo website. Please note that parking is limited at many parks, citizens are encouraged to use alternative transportation when possible.

Free

Indigo – Shindigo Crafternoon

Nanaimo Museum 100 Museum Way, Nanaimo

Indigo-Shindigo Crafternoon is a 5 hour workshop at Nanaimo Museum that teaches hands-on resist dye techniques with a natural Indigo vat. In this workshop, Yarrow Aiko Koontz will teach resist techniques called Shibori (Japan), and talk about some of the history of this amazing plant dye. Each participant will go home with a beautiful organic cotton mull scarf they’ve dyed during the workshop.

$90

World Ocean Day Celebration – Free Family Event!

Maffeo Sutton Park 100 Comox Rd,, Nanaimo

World Ocean Day Celebration at Maffeo Sutton Park Date: Saturday, June 8th Time: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM Location: Maffeo Sutton Park, Nanaimo, BC Admission: Free Join the Port of Nanaimo, Nanaimo Science, and the City of Nanaimo for a fun-filled World Ocean Day celebration at Maffeo Sutton Park! This family-friendly event offers a wonderful opportunity to learn about ocean conservation and discover how we can all help keep our oceans clean and protect marine life. Event Highlights: Interactive Stations: Engage with hands-on activities that show the effects of pollution on marine ecosystems and explore solutions to minimize our environmental impact. Educational Booths: Visit booths hosted by local organizations and marine experts to learn about conservation efforts and sustainable marine work. Family Activities: Enjoy a variety of crafts, games, and other activities designed for children and families to foster a love for the ocean. Bring your family and friends to Maffeo Sutton Park on June 8th to celebrate World Ocean Day and learn how you can make a difference in preserving our beautiful marine environments. This event is free and open to all ages. For more information, visit World Ocean Day Event on Facebook.. Don't miss out on this exciting day of ocean discovery and conservation!

Free

Queer Art Drop In

Nanaimo Art Gallery 150 Commercial Street, Nanaimo

Celebrate Pride Month and prepare some pre-parade swag at Nanaimo Art Gallery's Queer Art Drop-In. Looking for pronoun pins? Want to rep your pride flag(s)? We will have our button maker set up and ready to go, or make some fun signs for the Pride March the following day!

Eco Elegance Fashion Show

Superior Farms 7995 Superior Road, Lantzville

Join us for an unforgettable evening of style and purpose at our Eco Elegance Fashion Show! This spectacular event celebrates sustainable fashion, featuring stunning designs from our very own Social Enterprise, Big Deals Boutique, as well as other local contributors in the central Vancouver Island area. With a mission to showcase eco-friendly and chic clothing, the fashion show aims to raise funds supporting the life-changing mentoring relationships facilitated by BBBSCVI. Let's come together to ignite the power and potential of young people while promoting a more sustainable future!

$75