What's a Labor Day weekend without a festival? Family Fun Day is a new Nanaimo event designed to provide a full day of family entertainment, activities and fun! It's all free (with donations to rotary happily accepted) Free Family Fun - Live Entertainment Food Trucks - Corn Roast - Artisan Vendors - Inflatables - Community Booths - Climbing Wall - Games - Sports Demos - Best Dressed Pet Show - Cornhole Tourney
Register yourself or bring a group for a lunchtime tour of our current exhibition ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᔪᒻᒪᕆᒃ Double Vision. Tours are led by a Gallery facilitator every Friday at noon through the run of the exhibition. Free for Members
The Renovation Blues Band is playing at The Heritage Mews as part of the Sounds of Summer Concert Series. Sounds of Summer will be happening on Fridays throughout the summer in the Old City Quarter! Enjoy live music from local musicians outside local businesses!
The VIS Studio is excited to launch a captivating project that aims to seamlessly integrate a visually art exhibit within the vibrant experience of the Nanaimo International Jazz Festival. Titled “Jazz Me a Note”. Jesse Marshall will perform at the Vancouver Island Sculpting Studio on September 6th from 6:00 to 9:00pm. He is a guitarist, composer, and teacher from Nanaimo, BC. He has been active as a freelance guitarist since 2013 and enjoys playing regularly with local musicians such as the NMA Big Band, Tasha Adams, Kosma Busheiken, and Graham Villette. After the first evening of music, the exhibit will run for an extended period of 10 days.
Nanaimo's wildest Shrek-themed party returns! Expect a wild night of costume contests, decorations, and singalongs until you lose your voice! Featuring DJs El Devine, Astro, and hosted by Sirreal! The first Romp in the Swamp sold-out with hundreds of guests embracing the party spirit, dressing up as characters from the Shrek universe and singing along to their favorite jams. This time around, Romp In The Swamp has found a new home at Nanaimo’s most iconic venue - The Queen’s, on Saturday September 7 from 9:30 PM. We've got DJ's El Devine and Astro on the decks, curating some of the greatest in pop, dance, hip hop, and one hit wonders. If you love a singalong - this is the party for you. Hosted by Sirreal, Nanaimo's most prolific MC - we've got costume contests and prizes, party photographer, music videos, memes, and the most swamped out decorations in Duloc! If you wanna dance, let your hair down, and meet some fun new friends in Nanaimo - you do not want to miss Romp In The Swamp II. Stay in the loop: www.niami.ca www.instagram.com/niami.ca www.facebook.com/niamifb 19+ Only | 2 forms of Government ID required Email us for VIP / Tables - info@niami.ca Proudly sponsored by Heavy D's Barbershop!
Come on out to the Bailey and be a part of our annual Christmas Pantomime, MOTHER GOOSE, which will run December 19 to 22 and 26 to 31. All ages from 12 and up are welcome. We need a comical Dame (played by a man), a heroic principal boy (played by a girl), a smart brave princess, an evil chancellor, two bumbling henchmen, two fairies, a king & a queen and seven children, oh and of course a goose. Auditions will be held from 1 to 3 pm on Saturday September 7. Come prepared to sing a few bars of “On Top of Spaghetti”, “She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain”, “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You”, or a song of your choice. This will be A Capella. We can’t wait to see you there! For further information please contact Producer Sheila Coultish or Director Peggy Harris .
The Nanaimo Curling Club is hosting a Community Event on Sunday September 8th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The Curling Centre is located at 106 Wall St. V9R 5L3. Across from Bowen Park. It will be held in the parking lot (indoor if it rains) and will consist of vendors, garage sale tables, a concession etc. Over 50 tables! Our goal is to bring community awareness to our facility and to do a bit of fundraising. We anticipate a large turnout and a great local event.
There will be garment fabric, costume, decorating, Christmas, fleece, specialty (eg silks and woollens) tons of beautiful Quilting fabric and supplies as well as yarn and knitting/crochet notions. All at bargain prices. Prices start at $3/metre and will accept cash, debit, credit cards. Please bring your own bags. The NanGo Grannies are a local group who fundraise for the Stephen Lewis Foundation Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign. The SLF assists over 1 million grandmothers in subSaharan Africa who care for over 15 million children, their own grandchildren and other who have been orphaned by AIDS.
Get ready, Nanaimo! The 2024 Nanaimo International Jazz Festival is back, and it's bigger, bolder, and jazzier than ever! From September 12th to 15th, downtown Nanaimo transforms into a jazz lover's paradise! Kick off the festival with our special event, "Jazz Me a Note," on Friday, September 6th at the Vancouver Island Sculpting Studio. It's a night of art, live jazz, and crazy creations! Then, join us on the Wesley Street Stage in the historic Old City Quarter for FREE performances that'll have your toes tapping and spirits soaring! And don't miss the Headliner Concert on September 14th at The Port Theatre, featuring The Canadian All Stars Sextet! With award-winning talents like Phil Dwyer and Christine Jensen, this is a show you won't want to miss! Plus, enjoy free and ticketed events of live jazz at local bars and restaurants, and join our New Orleans-style parade at Maffeo-Sutton Park on September 14th! Visit nanaimojazzfest.ca for all the details. The 8th annual Nanaimo International Jazz Festival—where the soul of jazz comes alive!
The Palace Band is playing at The Heritage Mews as part of the Sounds of Summer Concert Series. Sounds of Summer will be happening on Fridays throughout the summer in the Old City Quarter! Enjoy live music from local musicians outside local businesses!
Register yourself or bring a group for a lunchtime tour of our current exhibition ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᔪᒻᒪᕆᒃ Double Vision. Tours are led by a Gallery facilitator every Friday at noon through the run of the exhibition. Free for Members
Glimpse into the lives of Indigenous creatives who are making waves in our community! Organized and hosted by our Indigenous Engagement Coordinator bailey macabre, this special edition of Making Waves features a range of topics from community building, reconciliation, film making, music, and more! Enjoy a drink and some popcorn while you listen to a round of inspirational lightning talks. Doors open at 6:30pm.
Save the date for September 14, 2024, for IGNITE2024 – NatureNurture, as the Vancouver Island Conference Centre transforms into an artistic experience of charitable activity as we aim to raise $100,000 for vulnerable and at-risk youth in Nanaimo. Prepare for an evening of extraordinary performances featuring a diverse array of volunteer musicians, dancers, live art, models, drag artists, and more, all supported by local makeup artists and hairstylists. Together, we will showcase their talents in support of mental health. This year’s donor recipients for IGNITE are: Take a Hike Foundation and SD #68’s Learning Alternatives School Doors open at 6pm
SAVE the DATE PUBLIC INVITE Sat, September 14 (10am-5pm) SHARE on your social media platforms. INVITE https://www.facebook.com/share/dNwCFRwV99zDGUfX/?mibextid=9VsGKo VISIT WEBSITE https://wellnessspiritfair.com Please invite your friends and family to this FREE Admission, FREE Parking, FREE Lectures FOOD Truck on premises
Also known as the Mooncake Festival or Moon Festival, this delightful celebration will be filled with dancing, mooncakes, lanterns, and other traditional elements for all to enjoy. Enjoy a special night featuring kids' crafts, lantern decorating, lessons in art and dance, and tasty treats!
Celebrating the best in agriculture, local food and entertainment. This three-day event is packed full of livestock exhibitions, entertainment, agricultural education and of course – the Midway .
There will be garment fabric, costume, decorating, Christmas, fleece, specialty (eg silks and woollens) tons of beautiful Quilting fabric and supplies as well as yarn and knitting/crochet notions. All at bargain prices. Prices start at $3/metre and will accept cash, debit, credit cards. Please bring your own bags. The NanGo Grannies are a local group who fundraise for the Stephen Lewis Foundation Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign. The SLF assists over 1 million grandmothers in subSaharan Africa who care for over 15 million children, their own grandchildren and other who have been orphaned by AIDS.
Bead alongside Nanaimo's Art Gallery Indigenous Engagement Coordinator in a beading circle for adult Indigenous beadworkers of all skill levels. Bring a project you’ve already started, or start something new! Supplies, coffee, tea, and snacks will be provided.
Come paint and connect with folks in the community by taking part in a collaborative mural on canvas led by local artist and BC Cultural Days Ambassador, Annabelle Bail. You’ll have a chance to sketch, experiment with acrylic painting, and explore collage techniques with others around your table. Once you’re ready, you’ll work your magic onto one of two large canvases, leaving your personal mark on the artwork. This community project offers a space for all to celebrate our diverse perspectives and collaborate on an artwork that explores themes of joy, happiness, and safety through symbols, patterns, colour and more. This community event is FREE and open to all ages from Nanaimo (Snuneymuxw) and surrounding areas. For more information, visit CultureDays.ca Please note: Children must be accompanied by an adult
Join the City of Nanaimo to celebrate Rivers Day in Nanaimo at Bowen Park by the lower picnic shelter! There will be community booths, a StoryWalk, entertainment and a public art presentation at 11:30 am with artist, Curtis Grahauer. This event is free for the community!
Collaborate on artist Annabelle Bail’s Community Mural at the Nanaimo Art Gallery. People in the community will come together to work on a large canvas, using paint and mixed mediums to create a community mural showcasing the beauty and power of diverse voices and perspectives. As an artist, Annabelle believes we can build understanding and empathy across different social and cultural divides through visual storytelling. This project will provide a space for all to embrace the uniqueness of our different perspectives by collaborating on an art piece, exploring the themes of what joy, happiness, and safety look and feel like to each of us in symbols, patterns, and colours.
🗓️ Mark your calendar at Woodgrove Centre. American Crown Circus is a celebration of passion, innovation, and community. Embrace the opportunity to explore the world of various interests in a dynamic setting in British Columbia, Canada. Don't miss out on this remarkable event 🌈.
Toss The Boss is a FUNdraising event that challenges teams to raise funds in support of the Nanaimo Brain Injury Society. We are offering you a one-of-a-kind opportunity to do something you have only ever dreamed about... TOSS YOUR BOSS OFF A BRIDGE! ... with a bungy cord attached, of course! Donation and Team Sign-up Landing Page: https://tosstheboss.ca/
shnu’a’th, ᐊᑳᒥᕽ akâmihk, the other side is an exhibition of new photo-based artworks by Michelle Sound and Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun. The title of this exhibition, set in Hul’qumi’num, Cree, and English, suggests both geographical proximity (the other side of the river) and spiritual proximity (the afterlife). Works in the exhibition consider relations with land, family, and ancestors through interventions in the medium of photography. In our daily scroll through digital images, it is easy to forget that pictures can be tangible objects with weight and texture. When we encounter printed snapshots, we can hold them and ask: Who is this person? Where are they standing? How are we related? Who took this photo? then flip them to look for handwritten notes on the other side. Photographs of all types can spark stories, but photographs as objects can carry unique traces of the people or places they represent. Sound and White-Hill begin with this understanding, and employ sculpture and installation to bring new life to photographic images. Through cyanotypes printed on elk hide drums, torn prints that have been repaired and adorned, drawings of spirits layered on top of archival images, and spindle whorl patterns cut out from historical landscape photographs, the artists work to enact care for their families, and communities, here and on the other side. shnu’a’th, ᐊᑳᒥᕽ akâmihk, the other side is the third exhibition through which Nanaimo Art Gallery asks the question: How can we work together? Image: Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun, Squpastul (Gathering), Detail of digitally altered historical photograph, 2024
Get ready, Nanaimo! The 2024 Nanaimo International Jazz Festival is back, and it's bigger, bolder, and jazzier than ever! From September 12th to 15th, downtown Nanaimo transforms into a jazz lover's paradise! Kick off the festival with our special event, "Jazz Me a Note," on Friday, September 6th at the Vancouver Island Sculpting Studio. It's a night of art, live jazz, and crazy creations! Then, join us on the Wesley Street Stage in the historic Old City Quarter for FREE performances that'll have your toes tapping and spirits soaring! And don't miss the Headliner Concert on September 14th at The Port Theatre, featuring The Canadian All Stars Sextet! With award-winning talents like Phil Dwyer and Christine Jensen, this is a show you won't want to miss! Plus, enjoy free and ticketed events of live jazz at local bars and restaurants, and join our New Orleans-style parade at Maffeo-Sutton Park on September 14th! Visit nanaimojazzfest.ca for all the details. The 8th annual Nanaimo International Jazz Festival—where the soul of jazz comes alive!
SAVE the DATE PUBLIC INVITE Sat, September 14 (10am-5pm) SHARE on your social media platforms. INVITE https://www.facebook.com/share/dNwCFRwV99zDGUfX/?mibextid=9VsGKo VISIT WEBSITE https://wellnessspiritfair.com Please invite your friends and family to this FREE Admission, FREE Parking, FREE Lectures FOOD Truck on premises
Also known as the Mooncake Festival or Moon Festival, this delightful celebration will be filled with dancing, mooncakes, lanterns, and other traditional elements for all to enjoy. Enjoy a special night featuring kids' crafts, lantern decorating, lessons in art and dance, and tasty treats!
Save the date for September 14, 2024, for IGNITE2024 – NatureNurture, as the Vancouver Island Conference Centre transforms into an artistic experience of charitable activity as we aim to raise $100,000 for vulnerable and at-risk youth in Nanaimo. Prepare for an evening of extraordinary performances featuring a diverse array of volunteer musicians, dancers, live art, models, drag artists, and more, all supported by local makeup artists and hairstylists. Together, we will showcase their talents in support of mental health. This year’s donor recipients for IGNITE are: Take a Hike Foundation and SD #68’s Learning Alternatives School Doors open at 6pm
Summer! Creativity! Live Arts! From staged presentations to outdoor events, to Virtual Reality (VR) and hybrid performances, the 26th Annual InFrinGinG Dance Festival is your gateway to a summer of adventure in a world of culture, inspiration and beauty! Presented by Crimson Coast Dance!The festival offers two ways to experience the innovative beauty of Anishinaabe choreographer Olivia C. Davies’ Maamawi (ᒫᒪᐏ): Together Through The Fire. Motion-capture technology and stop-motion animation bring the Eagle, Bison, and Wolf to life, as they offer teachings for mankind’s survival. This captivating portrayal of the Anishinaabe Seven Fire Prophecies fuses dance and digital media into something all new and awe-inspiring! See it as a VR experience on Friday and Saturday or witness it live on-stage at the Port Theatre, Saturday night only! Running Tuesday-Sunday July 9-14th, the InFrinGinG Dance Festival opens Tuesday with DanceABLE, an original dance performance at the Port Theatre by local participants of all abilities! Come cheer on this joyous collaboration! Swing by the new store in town, Triple Moon, on Wednesday as local artists’ hybrid installations/performances connect us with our ecology, our time, and ourselves in Quantum Conversation and Embodied Threads. Bring your drum and chair to hang with us at the Night Market on Thursday for One World Rhythms, a community, cross-cultural drum circle, opening with the 3rd Annual Glimpse of India, an enthralling celebration of Indian dance! Catch The Sun and the Moon, which took the stage at last year’s festival, now re-imagined as an experimental dancefilm documentary by award winning artist Evann Siebens, screening Friday night at the Port Theatre! FREE weekend fun at Maffeo Sutton Park! Party to live reggae, dancehall, and more Saturday at Skanker’s Paradise: A celebration of Caribbean Dance and Music! Sunday, ultra-talented Serra Stewart (VIBE) and FUNKANOMETRY will MC the VanIsle Exhibition YOUTH Hip Hop Battle, a seriously fun competition for cash prizes! Plus, parents, prepare to chill as your kids head to KIDZ Zone: Playbriola, part-playground, part-classroom, all collaboration and creativity! Get moving with the Bhangra SPLASHmob! What is a SPLASHmob? Think flash mob – add water!Those of all ages and experience levels can join 2024 Honour In Culture award-recipient, Sukhi Sangha, to learn Bhangra moves for a fun and exhilarating SPLASHmob at Swy a lana Lagoon on Sunday to close the festival! Splashing is not mandatory for participants – yet it sure is fun!
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.
The Gabriola Arts Council's 6th annual Cultivate Performing and Arts Festival is back this summer, from July 10-14! Come on over to the Isle of the Arts for some fabulous entertainment for the whole family. Our main stage lineup includes a festival opening by the Indigenous Women Rise Drum Group, a variety show by some of Gabriola's many musical gems, and performances by Clanna Morna, Dana Sipos, Omolara, the Harpoonist, the John Capon Quartet, and our festival headliner Jim Byrnes. Our daytime events include a sound bath and meditation with Charlie Gates, a screening of new Canadian film Hailey Rose plus a Q+A with the film's leading actor, Em Haine, and Derek Le Beau, principal researcher of the Queer Cinema Archive, and an encore performance of ART, directed by Yazmina Reza and performed by the Gabriola Players. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, enjoy children-focused performances and interactive events by Rainbow the Harp Faery and Pico's Puppet Palace. Visit www.cultivate.artsgabriola.ca to learn more about all of our events and performers, and to buy your tickets!
Inspired by Janet Kigusiuq’s works in ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᔪᒻᒪᕆᒃ Double Vision, create an abstract tissue paper collage that reflects your natural environment. Drop-in each week for a fun hands-on art activity with family and friends. Art Lab Sundays are a creative way to spend your Sunday afternoon! Free for Members, $5 for Non-Members Children must be accompanied by an adult