The changing seasons in Parksville are marked by a series of annual festivals and special events for all ages.
Ring in the spring at the six-week Brant Wildlife Festival, celebrate summer at the Coombs Rodeo Bull-A-Rama, Park Lion's International Kite Festival, and Parksville Beach Festival, prepare for the Christmas season at Qualicum Beach's craft fair and market, or escape those winter blues with great food and wine at Parksville Uncorked.
During April and May the six-week Brant Wildlife Festival unofficially heralds spring with the arrival of 20,000 migrating Black Brant geese. Also in spring, Morningstar Farm (home of Little Qualicum Cheeseworks) celebrates the season with its annual, month-long Calving Festival.
Early-Summer Festivals
In June, bucking bulls and hard-riding cowboys/girls lock horns for the annual Coombs Rodeo Bull-A-Rama. Father's Day is celebrated in Qualicum Beach with the Show 'n' Shine parade of vintage cars and motorcycles.
The Summer By the Sea Street Market brings a festive atmosphere to a pedestrian-only Craig Street in Parksville on Tuesday evenings with live entertainment and a variety of local vendors.
Mid-Summer Festivals
Fireworks fly high over Parksville on Canada Day. The Bard to Broadway Theatre Festival presents musicals and comedies daily throughout the summer at the Chrysler Theatre in the Parksville Community and Conference Centre.
Fly a kite or watch the masters at the Parksville Lions' International Kite Festival (mid-July), typically on the same weekend as the Arbutus Meadows Equestrian Centre's annual Island Classic show-jumping competition in Nanoose Bay. The broncos take their turn in the dirt ring at the Coombs Country Rodeo, first held in 1976 and still going strong.
Late-Summer Festivals
The Parksville Beach Festival has been voted one of the "top 100 events in North America" by the American Bus Association. Festival highlights include the fanciful and fantastic critters, space ships, and exotic sandscapes created at the Canadian Open Sand Sculpting Competition.
Also in August, the Oceanside Overdrive Festival showcases hundreds of vintage automobiles on the long holiday weekend; Coombs holds a bluegrass festival and community fair on successive weekends; Kidfest draws families to the Parksville beachfront in mid-month; and Volleybash at month's end is billed as the biggest beach volleyball tournament in BC.
Fall & Winter Festivals
In November, the work of local artisans is showcased at Qualicum Beach's Village Christmas Craft Fair and the juried Kris Kringle Craft Market.
Milner Gardens, during the month of December, gets its twinkle on as thousands of lights are strung for its annual Christmas Magic Celebration. Parksville Fellowship Baptist Church hosts Bethlehem Walk, a recreation of the biblical story of Christ's birth involving 250 town residents. Carol singalongs and hot chocolate are bonus treats at this popular charity fundraiser.
February foodie alert! Vancouver Island's acclaimed food and wine scene is celebrated at Parksville Uncorked, a series of wine-paired meals hosted by the Beach Club Resort and other local resorts.
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