Things to do in BC this weekend
There are two big events in BC this weekend:
- Canada Parks Day (all over BC)
- Billy Barker Days (Quesnel)
Canada Parks Day
The big event this weekend is Canada Parks Day, on Saturday, July 16. Here’s a list of Canada Parks Day events in BC.
Here’s a brief recap:
Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites
Join the Juan de Fuca Ramblers for a 10 km walk that runs through the byways of Colwood and finishes with a loop through the historic sites.
Fort St. James National Historic Site
Salmon Day! Taste salmon lunch! Judge an Iron-Chef cookoff-learn the significance of salmon for First Nations & traders & help in salmon conservation
Glacier National Park
Interpretive walks and performances, new exhibits, family activities and the Friends $1.25 BBQ.
Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve (Chilliwack)
Come and join us at our beautiful Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve for a fun filled day of nature walks, adventures, crafts and activities!
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve – Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre
What type of explorer are you? Want to go camping but not sure where to start? Join us for a fun day of events and activities.
Billy Barker Days
The other big event in BC this weekend must be Billy Barker Days in Quesnel. BC’s largest free festival, Billy Barker Days will be held at Lebourdais Park (adjacent to the Quesnel Museum) in Quesnel, in the heart of BC’s historic Cariboo Country.
Kootenay Rockies
Kaslo continues to host Manifest Destiny: the Art of Angela Sterritt at the Langham Cultural Centre. Based in Vancouver BC, Sterritt has incorporated a First Nations aesthetic into her art.
Also ongoing is Castlegar’s Kootenay Gallery of Art presentation of Cultural Path: Faculty Collections from Selkirk College.
Golden: We Call This Home at the Art Gallery of Golden (AGOG) features a selection of posters that recreate the classic look of early 20th Century advertisements.
Kimberley’s Underground Mining Railway Tours offer express train rides this weekend.
Father’s Day Events in BC
On Sunday, June 19, the entire world celebrates Father’s Day. While Mother’s Day in May could be said to be a celebration of spring, Father’s Day definitely marks the beginning of summer. What is your family planning to do?
Here are a few ideas for how to spend Father’s Day in BC:
Start of Aboriginal Week (Fort St James National Historic Site) – In commemoration of National Aboriginal Day, from June 19 to June 25 come join a week-long series of school programs and activities for children that explain how Aboriginal practices helped build Fort St. James into a thriving fur trade centre to life.
Saanich Historical Artifacts Society Summer Fair (Central Saanich) – Besides featuring displays of antique and restored farm equipment, trucks and even horse-drawn wagons, there will also be train rides organized by the Vancouver Island Model Engineers.
Father’s Day Tractor Show (Duncan) – Everyone in the Cowichan Valley – or anywhere else – with an old tractor to show off is invited to the BC Forest Discovery Centre, where tractors are put on display, invited to join a parade and even compete in a slow-paced race where the last tractor to cross the finish line wins.
Cottonwood House Father’s Day (Quesnel) – This year, Father’s Day celebrations at Cottonwood House will include a basket picnic lunch on the lawn and live music. Heritage games, farm orientation, and scavenger hunts may also be booked for special group outings.
Beaufort Gang Train Robbery (Port Alberni) - On Father’s Day, board a train pulled by a shining, black restored 1929 Baldwin logging locomotive right in downtown Port Alberni at a CPR Station dating back to 1912. But watch out! the notorious Beaufort Gang are up to their old tricks again…
Sam Steele Days (Cranbrook) – every year Cranbrook celebrates Sam Steele Days, a celebration of history and heritage. Enjoy performances by artists and entertainers, and sample local delicacies in the shadow of the majestic Kootenay Rockies.
