Ladysmith Things To Do
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 Ladysmith is due west across the Strait of Georgia from Vancouver at the north end of Vancouver Island's fertile Cowichan Valley, where farms and orchards thrive during a long and temperate growing season. This location in the southeast Vancouver Island region is optimal for a variety of water sports, such as kayaking and boat cruising. On land, there is plenty of easy, intermediate, and advanced hiking to pursue, while less strenuous options include touring the comunity's historic artifacts, taking in an art gallery exhibit, or attending any one of Ladysmith's numerous annual festivals and events.
Water Activities Pleasure cruising and kayaking are year-round options in Ladysmith's sheltered region of southeastern Vancouver Island. Rent a kayak from Sealegs Kayaking Adventures at Transfer Beach Park, and push off from the curving cement steps mere metres/feet from its beachfront eco-adventure centre. Join a tour, take lessons, upgrade skills, or purchase a kayak after taking it for a sea trial. Visiting boaters will find numerous overnight berths locally in Ladysmith. The Ladysmith Maritime Society Community Marina offers relatively affordable moorage rates at a unique volunteer-run facility. Check out the museum and wooden heritage boats here. The society also runs inexpensive harbour tours that begin on June weekends, then operate twice daily in July and August. Land Activities  Ladysmith's heritage downtown is a great spot for shopping, dining and lazy-day meanders through a historic Edwardian-era streetscape. Pick up the "artifact route" map at the Visitor Centre, and don't miss the Post Office Antique Mall, a heritage superstore of vintage collectables on the Trans Canada Highway (aka The Esplanade). The Holland Creek Trail offers beginner-intermediate hiking trails that run from the water's edge at the southeast end of Ladysmith to viewpoints high above town. Hikers can also venture beyond the trail for more advanced treks. Birdwatching and wildlife viewing are excellent in the Holland Creek area and townsfolk are active players in the BC Purple Martin Stewardship and Recovery Program. (Learn more about this vital initiative at the entrance to the community marina.) Dance, Golf & Bungy Jump  Dancers and yogis of all ages can take lessons and occasional workshops at Soulfire Dance Studio (19A High Street) with Jennifer MacPherson and her team. Duffers and casual golfers, meanwhile, swing easy at the nine-hole Ladysmith Golf Club (380 Davis Road), a low-cost par-three course. More serious players can pick and choose between many fine courses in the region (i.e. Duncan Meadows, 20 minutes south of town off the Lake Cowichan turnoff). Dive into the wild blue yonder with an exhilarating bungy jump at WildPlay Elements Park (35 Nanaimo River Road, about 20 minutes north via the Trans Canada Highway). This Cedar-area amusement zone also offers a fun zipline ride across a river canyon, a high-speed "king swing" ride and a unique tree-top obstacle course suitable for various age groups and fitness levels. Arts & Culture  Among Ladysmith's art galleries and studios is the Ladysmith Waterfront Arts Gallery, housed in a vintage storage shed on a plateau of land above the community marina. There are also home studios throughout the area, and the annual Arts on the Avenue festival showcases works of the creative community in late August. The 49th Parallel Grocery store is a good stop for such local books as Cooking Up History (featuring choice recipes from local cooks) and Lines on the 49th Parallel (an anthology of stories and poetry by members of the Ladysmith Writer's Circle). Lady Smith's Little Theatre Group presents dinner and lunchtime shows periodically at its own venue (4985 Christie Road). Check at the Visitor Centre for the latest schedule along with info on performances at the Transfer Beach's waterfront amphitheatre and the Agricultural Hall. Festivals & Special Events Volunteers are the lifeblood of Ladysmith's cultural life, and more than 1,000 citizens are responsible for the hugely popular Festival of Lights held in the six-week window before and immediately after Christmas. Don't miss "Light Up Night" in November when the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland at the flick of a switch and thousands gather on 1st Avenue to celebrate. Other notable festivals and events here include Vancouver Island Paddlefest (a unique kayak trade show and splashabout in early May), the Ladysmith Maritime Festival (late May), and Ladysmith Days (a community celebration on the BC Day weekend in early August). Drop by the Ladysmith Visitor Centre for more information on things to do in Ladysmith, and to pick up helpful guide brochures and maps.
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