Each month Used.ca proudly supports local community events here in Greater Victoria and on Vancouver Island. It’s the New Year and there’s plenty of events to check out in January!
1.) Esquimalt Christmas Tree Village – December 3 – January 3
2.) Dine Around and Stay in Town Victoria & Dine Around Gala – January 24 – February 9 & January 22
3.) Chip In for the Kids supporting Easter Seals BC & Yukon – January 4-5
4.) Gingerbread Showcase supporting Habitat for Humanity – November 22 – January 5
5.) Festival of Trees Victoria at The Bay Centre – November 15- January 5
6.) Shine Gala – A Night of Fashion supporting BC Children’s Hospital – April 5
7.) Coldest Night of the Year supporting Our Place and PCFSA – February 22
8.) Wounded Warrior Run BC and Gala Dinner – February 23 – March 2 & February 1
9.) Belfry Theatre presents Behind the Moon – February 4 to March 2
10.) Victoria Symphony presents Tony DeSare – Rhapsody & Blue Eyes – January 25 & 26
Esquimalt Christmas Tree Village – December 3 – January 3
The Esquimalt Recreation Centre has been transformed into a winter wonderland thanks to our local community groups and businesses! Come experience the magic of the holidays by exploring our Christmas Tree Village complete with twinkling lights and fanciful decorations. Join in on the fun by voting for your favourite tree in person or and on Facebook between Dec 3rd-Dec 18th. The lucky “People’s Choice” winner will be announced on Dec 19th. This free family event will run from Dec 3rd- Jan 3rd, so make sure to add a stop to the Esquimalt Rec Centre to your Holiday to-do list.
Dine Around and Stay in Town Victoria & Dine Around Gala – January 24 – February 9 & January 22
The 2025 Dine Around and Stay in Town Victoria season will be kicking off once again with the Dine Around Gala on January 23rd at the Crystal Garden!
This year’s program runs from January 24th – February 9th, and features over 50 Greater Victoria restaurants putting their best-food-forward with set three-course menus priced at $25, $35, $45, $55, $65, and $75.
Hotels take part in the program by offering special rates. “Stay in Town” with options from as low as $139/night… because nothing pairs better with a delicious night-out than a comfortable hotel room!
The Gala kick-off on the 23rd will feature all-you-can-eat restaurant bites and delicious beverages from over 50 local restaurants, wineries, cideries, and breweries. To pair, there will be magical entertainment, live music and mixing and mingling!
It’ll be a night to remember – get your tickets today at https://show.ps/l/9a016b1b/!
Visit https://www.tourismvictoria.com/eat-drink/dine-around to plan your Dine Around 2025 adventure.
Chip In for the Kids supporting Easter Seals BC & Yukon – January 4-5
Easter Seals’ annual Christmas tree recycle, Chip In for the Kids, will take place on January 4 & 5, 2025. This event offers a convenient and environmentally friendly way to dispose of your Christmas tree at one of our 7 locations. All funds raised from Chip In for the Kids support Easter Seals Camp Shawnigan.
Lions Clubs, along with volunteers from Davey Tree Service (Greater Victoria) and Competition Tree Service (Shawnigan, Mill Bay, and Duncan), will be collecting Christmas trees in exchange for a donation to Easter Seals at the following locations from 10 AM to 4 PM on January 4 & 5, 2025:
· Save-On-Foods – Fort & Foul Bay
· Broadmead Village Shopping Centre
· Tillicum Centre
· Westshore Town Centre
· Thrifty Foods – Mill Bay
· Mason’s Store & Patio – Shawnigan Lake
· BC Forest Discovery Centre – Duncan
More information here! Thank you from Easter Seals!
Gingerbread Showcase supporting Habitat for Humanity – November 22 – January 5
Habitat for Humanity Victoria’s 16th Annual Gingerbread Showcase returns, presented by in partnership with Peninsula Co-op. This iconic holiday event and premier annual fundraiser offers seasonal family fun spiced with friendly competition.
Hosted by Hotel Grand Pacific, 463 Belleville Street, on Victoria’s beautiful Inner Harbour. The Showcase runs daily from 9 am to 9 pm – November 22, 2024 through January 5, 2025. Attendance is no charge. Visitors are encouraged to donate and vote for their favourite creation!
Volunteer professional and home bakers alike have spent hundreds of hours interpreting this year’s theme ‘Through a Child’s Eyes’. They’ll be vying for top honours as the People’s Choice – determined by visitor voting! Add this festive cherished tradition to your holiday plans and Support Habitat and Support Families.
Festival of Trees Victoria at The Bay Centre – November 15- January 5
Immerse yourself in the season as you tour over 90 trees spruced up and on display at the Bay Centre for the community to vote on and enjoy over the holidays. A signature kick off to the holiday season in Greater Victoria, this iconic display has become one of the City’s must-see and most enjoyed events.
While you are there, be sure to vote by donation for your favourite tree – your generosity helps fund breakthrough research, treatment and care for seriously ill kids.
Plan your visit at thebaycentre.ca/festival-of-trees/
Shine Gala – A Night of Fashion supporting BC Children’s Hospital – April 5
It’s time to mark your calendar! Join us April 5th 2025 at the Fairmont Empress for a night of glitz, glamour and giving! This illustrious affair promises an unforgettable experience for attendees while supporting the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Guests will then be treated to a mesmerizing high-end fashion fashion show while dining on a sumptuous three-course dinner catered by The Empress plus wine service. You will experience a one-of-a-kind fashion show showcasing men’s and women’s looks plus a very special children’s showcase.
For more details and purchase tickets, visit https://shinefashionevent.square.site/
Coldest Night of the Year supporting Our Place and Pacific Centre for Family Services – February 22
Join Our Place Society and Pacific Center for Family Services Association on February 22 for Coldest Night of the Year, a community fundraising walk to support Greater Victoria’s hurt, hungry and homeless.
Register individually or with your business, school, church or group and join our caring community for a 2km or 5km walk through the downtown or Westshore. This uplifting evening will be filled with community spirit, music, food, and fun!
In Greater Victoria, Coldest Night of the Year is organized by Our Place Society and Pacific Centre for Family Services Association. All money raised goes to support crucial local services and every step we take brings someone closer to safety, health and home.
Walk with us towards a Greater Victoria! Register today at:
Downtown walk registration: www.cnoy.org/victoriapandora
Westshore walk registration: www.cnoy.org/victoriawestshore
Wounded Warrior Run BC and Gala Dinner – February 23 – March 2 & February 1
Join us for the Wounded Warrior Run BC 2025! Your donations support Trauma-Exposed Professionals and their families on Vancouver island. Attend our Gala Dinner on February 1, 2025, or cheer us on during the One-Day Sooke to Sidney Run on February 2, 2025. The Wounded Warrior Run BC follows from February 23 – March 2, 2025, from Port Hardy to Victoria, BC. Help make a difference for our first responders, veterans and their families today!
Belfry Theatre presents Behind the Moon – February 4 to March 2
Behind the Moon starts February 4
Rizwan Manji, from the hit TV series, Schitt’s Creek, stars in Behind the Moon at the Belfry Theatre from February 4 to March 2.
Hailed as “one of CanLit’s most innovative chameleons,” playwright and author Anosh Irani takes us to the Mughlai Moon restaurant in Toronto, where Ayub cooks, cleans, and waits for his future to begin. His father’s friend, Qadir, has brought him to Canada with a promise of permanency that never seems to materialize. A mysterious stranger brings with him the clarity that Ayub needs to free himself from the limbo in which he is suffocating.
Pay-what-you-want tickets to all performances of Behind the Moon are on sale now.
Victoria Symphony present Tony DeSare: Rhapsody & Blue Eyes – January 25 & 26
Beat the January blues! From the timeless songs of Ol’ Blue Eyes, to George Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue, triple-threat singer/songwriter/ pianist, Tony DeSare, tackles two musical mavericks in one outstanding concert. Whether in jazz clubs, Carnegie Hall, or headlining with major orchestras, Tony delivers a fresh take on old school class. He returns to Victoria to chart some of Frank Sinatra’s greatest hits—Come Fly with Me, It Was A Very Good Year, New York, New York—and more!
Saturday, January 25, 7:30 pm
Sunday, January 26, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre
SEAN O’LOUGHLIN, conductor
TONY DeSARE, piano/vocals
AND JAZZ COMBO
