Markets · festivals · fairs · live music
The Vancouver Island events calendar.
Markets, festivals, live music and community events across all nine Island regions — every one verified with its organizer before it’s published.
This is the Vancouver Island events calendar: farmers markets, festivals, fall fairs, live music and community gatherings across all nine Island regions, each one verified with its organizer before it's published. Filter by region, type or date, see what's on this weekend — and if you're running something, from a weekly market to a fundraiser, gallery opening or race, listing it here is free and takes about two minutes.
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Year-round
What's on around the Island
Vancouver Island doesn't really have an off-season — the calendar just changes costume. Every event listed here is real and checked against its organizer's own site before it's published, with dates, location and a link to the official page, so you can plan a weekend around it without second-guessing whether it's actually happening.
Summer: festival season
From June through August the Island runs at full volume. Downtown Duncan hosts one of the longest-running daily music festivals anywhere, Parksville's beach fills with world-class sand sculpture, and seaside parks from Comox to Victoria stage artisan markets, outdoor concerts, and food truck gatherings. Farmers markets hit their stride in nearly every town — the Cowichan Valley and Comox Valley markets are destinations in their own right.
Fall: fair season
September belongs to the agricultural fairs, some of them running for more than 150 years — livestock and logger sports, prize quilts and produce, midway rides and community pride. It's also harvest time in the wine and cider country over the Malahat, when tasting rooms and farm gates put on their best show.
Winter and spring: the local months
Winter is storm-watching season on the Pacific Rim and small-hall season everywhere else: craft fairs, theatre, live music in pubs and community halls from Victoria to Nanaimo. By March the whale-watching boats are back for the grey whale migration, spring markets open, and the cycle winds up again. Some of the Island's best events happen in these quieter months, when the crowds are thin and the events are made mostly for the people who live here.
Running an event?
Listing is free and takes a couple of minutes: submit your event with the date, location and your official page, and it's typically approved and live within a day. Events also appear in directory search and get proper event markup for Google, so a listing here helps people find your event elsewhere too.
Don’t miss
This weekend
June 26, 2026 to August 3, 2026
Cowichan Valley
39 Days of July
Downtown Duncan fills with free live music all summer as the Duncan Cowichan Festival Society presents 39 Days of July. Catch shows on the City Square stage, kids' performances in the park and Blues on Tuesdays — most of it original music, all supported by audience donations.
July 13, 2026 to August 16, 2026
Parksville–Qualicum Fairs & Exhibitions
Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Exhibition (Beachfest)
See the finished works from Parksville's international sand sculpting competition up close at the Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Exhibition, on daily at Parksville Community Park, July 13 to August 16, 2026. This year's Beachfest theme is Beauties & Beasts.
January 3, 2026 to December 31, 2026, Saturdays, year-round
Cowichan Valley Markets
Duncan Farmers' Market
More than 100 vendors fill downtown Duncan's market square every Saturday — farm produce, eggs, cheese, meat and seafood, baked goods, local artisans and food trucks — at one of BC's oldest and largest farmers' markets, running year-round.
July 24, 2026 to July 26, 2026
Pacific Rim
Ukee Days
Ucluelet's three-day community festival fills the fairgrounds with a Saturday parade, amateur logger sports, a pancake breakfast, quirky contests like the gumboot toss, live music, food trucks and an artisan market.
June 2026
July 2026
July 13, 2026 to August 16, 2026
Parksville–Qualicum Fairs & Exhibitions
Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Exhibition (Beachfest)
See the finished works from Parksville's international sand sculpting competition up close at the Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Exhibition, on daily at Parksville Community Park, July 13 to August 16, 2026. This year's Beachfest theme is Beauties & Beasts.
July 31, 2026 to August 2, 2026
Comox Valley Festivals
Filberg Festival
The Filberg Festival fills Filberg Heritage Lodge & Park in Comox from July 31 to August 2, 2026. Browse the festival market, take in live performances from this year's artist lineup and grab a bite from the food trucks, with single-day and weekend passes available.
July 24, 2026 to July 26, 2026
Pacific Rim
Ukee Days
Ucluelet's three-day community festival fills the fairgrounds with a Saturday parade, amateur logger sports, a pancake breakfast, quirky contests like the gumboot toss, live music, food trucks and an artisan market.
July 30, 2026 to August 2, 2026
Cowichan Valley Live Music
Sunfest Country Music Festival
Vancouver Island's biggest country music festival — four days of headliners and camping at Laketown Ranch near Lake Cowichan.
January 2026
August 2026
August 1, 2026 to August 3, 2026
Comox Valley
Comox Nautical Days
A free BC Day long-weekend festival on the Comox waterfront — parade, market, kids' activities and Festival of Lights fireworks.
August 1, 2026 to August 31, 2026
Cowichan Valley Food & Drink
Cowichan Valley Wine Festival
A month-long, self-guided tour of the Cowichan Valley's wineries — map, tasting glass and twelve estates to explore at your own pace.
August 2, 2026
Greater Victoria Live Music
Victoria Symphony Splash
A free, iconic Victoria summer tradition — the Victoria Symphony performs on a floating barge in the Inner Harbour, capped by fireworks.
August 6, 2026 to August 16, 2026
Nanaimo Festivals
International Nanaimo Fringe Festival
The 16th International Nanaimo Fringe Festival brings 11 days of uncensored, independent theatre, comedy and live performance to the Port Theatre and venues across Nanaimo.
August 7, 2026 to August 9, 2026
Nanaimo Live Music
Nanaimo Blues Festival
Vancouver Island's go-to blues festival — a waterfront weekend of touring and Canadian blues acts in downtown Nanaimo.
August 8, 2026 to August 9, 2026
Campbell River Festivals
Campbell River Salmon Festival
Campbell River's SalmonFest packs a summer weekend at Willow Point with world-class logger sports, a Highland gathering of pipes, drums and heavy games, Highland dancing, kids' activities, live entertainment and food trucks.
August 8, 2026 to August 9, 2026
Parksville–Qualicum Fairs & Exhibitions
Coombs Fair
The 113th Coombs Fair brings two days of livestock shows, home, garden and craft exhibits, mainstage music, food and old-fashioned family fun to the rural Coombs fairgrounds — a cherished Island tradition run by volunteers.
August 10, 2026 to August 15, 2026
Pacific Rim
Tla-o-qui-aht Days
An annual mid-August cultural celebration hosted by the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation in the Tofino area, featuring a community market, traditional foods, live entertainment and family activities.
August 21, 2026 to August 23, 2026
Comox Valley Live Music
Comox Valley Jazz Festival
A multi-venue weekend of live jazz across Courtenay and Comox, from intimate club sets to concert-hall shows.
August 22, 2026 to August 23, 2026
Greater Victoria Fairs & Exhibitions
Sooke Fall Fair
A classic community agricultural fair at Fred Milne Park in Sooke, with home-craft and produce exhibits, livestock, food, music and family fun.
August 22, 2026
Cowichan Valley Fairs & Exhibitions
Cobble Hill Fair
A historic one-day country fair in South Cowichan with livestock and horse shows, home-craft exhibits, a midway, food and entertainment. The 117th fair is Saturday, August 22, 2026.
August 22, 2026
North Island Live Music
North Island Music Festival
An annual outdoor live-music festival at Centennial Field in Port McNeill, organized by the Gate House Theatre, featuring regional and touring performers, food vendors and local artisans.
August 26, 2026 to September 6, 2026
Greater Victoria Festivals
Victoria Fringe Festival
Roughly two weeks of uncensored, affordable independent theatre at venues across downtown Victoria, presented by Intrepid Theatre.
August 28, 2026 to August 30, 2026
Comox Valley Fairs & Exhibitions
Comox Valley Exhibition (CVEX)
One of Vancouver Island's longest-running agricultural fairs, CVEX returns to Courtenay for three days of livestock, homecraft, produce competitions, a midway, live entertainment and family fun.
August 29, 2026
Nanaimo Food & Drink
Strait Curbside Food Truck Festival
A free, family-friendly gathering of Vancouver Island food trucks and curbside vendors at Nanaimo North Town Centre, serving street eats and sweet treats.
August 29, 2026
Gulf Islands Fairs & Exhibitions
Pender Islands Fall Fair
A classic country fair on Pender Island run by the Farmers' Institute, with exhibit halls of produce, baking, crafts and art, plus local food, live entertainment and family activities.
September 2026
September 4, 2026 to September 5, 2026
Greater Victoria Food & Drink
Great Canadian Beer Festival
Canada's original craft beer festival — 90+ breweries and 200+ beers pouring at Victoria's Topaz Park.
September 5, 2026 to September 7, 2026
Greater Victoria Fairs & Exhibitions
Saanich Fair
Celebrate Labour Day weekend at the 158th Saanich Fair, September 5 to 7, 2026, at the Saanich Fairgrounds in Saanichton. Running since 1868, the fair brings livestock and horticulture exhibits, competitions in dozens of categories, amusement rides, food vendors and live entertainment.