Nanaimo puts on an incredible variety of festivals, many of them unique, tasty or just plain silly and good fun. These are a great way for visitors to experience some real community spirit or enjoy a great day out with the family. Here is a selection of some of Nanaimo's top festivals and events: Late February: Maple Sugar Festival (Beban Park). The francophone and Acadian cultures of eastern Canada are celebrated with a schedule packed with 20 musicians and groups playing footstomping Zydeco, Cajun and Acadian styles. Clowns, troubadours and puppeteers entertain the kids.
Early May: Vancouver Island International Children's Festival (Harbourfront Plaza). Free entertainment in the open air plaza and ticketed events at the Port Theatre featuring leading children's musicians, clown companies and mime artists.
Mid-May: Empire Days Celebration (Harbourfront). A fireworks display and the year's first noontime blast from the Hudson Bay Company's historic Bastion canon highlight a weekend festival that has been honouring Queen Victoria's birthday since the 1850s.
Mid-July: Dragon Boat Festival (Maffeo Sutton Park). Some 80 teams participate in this colourful annual fundraiser for breast cancer research. Onlookers are invited to ride in a dragon boat for a small donation to the cause.
Late July: Great International World Championship Bathtub Race & Nanaimo Marine Festival (Waterfront). The Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society continues a wacky and exciting tradition that dates back to 1967. Annual highlight: The 58km/36mi Great Race during which 50 motorized tubs travel a circuit route from their start point in Nanaimo Harbour to the Departure Bay finish line.
Mid-August: The Vancouver Island Exhibition (Beban Park). "Critters, squeals and ferris wheels" is the motto for an old-school country fair that has been an annual family favorite since 1894. Goat milking demonstrations, Jack Russell terrier races, sheepdog trials, horse exhibitions and lively tribute bands are all part of the schedule.
Mid-August: Summertime Blues (Diana Krall Plaza, downtown). The Nanaimo Blues Society presents free outdoor performances from dozens of acts. To repeat: Every last guitar lick and wailing vocal is free of charge.
Late September: Bite of Nanaimo (Beban Park). A one-night fundraiser that allows one to graze on platters served up by 20 local restaurants.
Late October: Nanaimo Pumpkin Festival (Beban Park). Hayrides, pumpkin craving competitions and a weigh-off for the region's largest pumpkin – which has been known to tip the scales at 1,000 lbs/453 kilos or more.
Late November: Festival of Trees (Vancouver Island University). The campus lights up for Christmas inside and out. The festival's first weekend is designed for families and young people.