After experiencing the 4th annual Car Free YYJ, I’m looking forward to Year Five. Can more of Douglas Street be used? Can carnival rides get offered at Centennial Square? That’s the feeling I got while thinking about what will draw me back. This event has music which I enjoyed, food to snack on, shopping local and seeing exhibits to highlight the best of what Victoria, BC can offer. I know more is possible. The Downtown Victoria Business Association has a good plan to revitalize the city core, and I can only hop on my soapbox to offer my suggestions.
One important deet to mention is that the water fountain was tucked away. The Capital Regional District had a booth to talk about conservation, and on a hot day, they were hoping people would bring water bottles. The station kept many people hydrated throughout the day! The last time I went to this event, I forgot and was spending far too much on lemonade.
I was pleased to see a few nerd offerings in between the food trucks and vendors. One artist had his wares on display and I was particularly proud of seeing one enterprising young boy selling his customized LEGO kits. Not too far is Johnson Street, where Nerd Row is located. I prefer the term Nerdtoria to describe the shops located nearby. I’m not sure they benefited from this event. Instead of having the main strip for those looking to vend, the side street operations and shops affected by this event should also be participating. Island Poke looked particularly quiet and I felt sad for them.
For food, the mainstays were here! I saw Taco Revolution, Eat Machine, Dead Beetz and Empire Donuts (to name a few). Of particular interest was Tamales Don Carlos, and I noticed more Mexican operations this year than previous.
Of the new food trucks I noticed, I was already full after hitting my second snack stop. I overspent while at Van Isle Comic Con. I am surprised neither this event or Capital City Comic Con exhibited. Not like they need more exposure, but it would have made this event tops in my book.
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