Category Archives: Your Island Guide

Your guide to the best our islands have to offer.

08.19.20
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Announcing a Fringe Mini Celebration August 26 – 30!

josephine squareIn July, the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Victoria Fringe Festival was announced. This has

been a year like no other, and the organizers couldn’t let a summer go by without a mini celebration of the Fringe to bring fans far and wide together, share some great memories, and be entertained – and it’s all FREE!

As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. We are stirring up a fresh batch of Fringey lemonade August 26 to 30. To begin, the smash hit of the 2019 Fringe Josephine returns, online!

vivi facepaint

Drag queen Vivian Vanderpuss shares facepainting tutorials at FringeKids Online.

Nyla Carpentier, the 2019 Victoria Fringe Indigenous Artist Program artist.

Nyla production shotThis Fringe celebration features:

FringeKids Online, August 29 + 30, fun for kids ages 6+ with special online appearances from some favourite characters.

Josephine Online, August 26 – 30, stream the 2019 Audience Favourite Pick of the Fringe winner on demand anytime online between noon on August 26 and midnight on August 30.

Postcards of Fringe Love, an analogue and digital memory sharing project.

Meet the artists of the Victoria Fringe Indigenous Artist Program with Q&A’s featuring four artists, released over the next 2 weeks.

josephine trailer 1

07.22.20
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A Fudd on The Hunt for a Food Truck

Image may contain: outdoorHours & Location: Varies
For the latest updates, please visit their website.

Be very, very quiet… I’m hunting risotto, Indecent Risotto. This operation is mostly found out in Westshore, but when they hit a farmer’s market or event in the City of Victoria proper, I’m there! Andrew Paumier and Shannon Moriarty are the fine folks in the truck, cooking up one of my favourite Italian fast foods. They source their ingredients locally and I suspect they also have a garden to harvest from for making their salads.

I’m glad this operation is mobile, otherwise just getting out to the boonies is not in the cards. They are frequently spotted in the Municipality of Sooke and out by Esquimalt Lagoon. Neither are easy to reach when I’m a Saanich boy at heart.

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04.28.20
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Victoria, BC’s UNO Fest Goes Online, Y’know

You know it’s UNO Fest time when the end of April rolls around in Victoria, BC. Under normal situations, this would be a live theatre event taking place at venues across this city. In the midst of the current coronavirus-19 crisis where governments are encouraging their citizens to stay at home so avoid contact with possible carriers, just how entertainment gatherings are adapting is to simply go online! Plus, there’s free events on this festival’s Facebook page.

This event starts today, and when coming to the garden city isn’t possible, fans of solo theatre can check out this unique art scene from afar.

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04.05.20
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Oh Sugar! Delivers in time of Crisis

No photo description available.

NOW DELIVERING!

No it’s not the Crisis of Infinite Earths or anything as big. During this time where many Victorians are self-isolating because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the choice to head out to even satisfy the simplest of cravings is not without some danger. Thankfully, some operations are coming to the rescue! In addition to Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes and Door Dash bringing your favourite meals to you, just what else is there?

We need to support our local small businesses! With reduced sales and no customers coming into the stores, some have decided to change their hours of operations. It’s believed some will not even return at all. Up and along Johnson Street are a bunch of wonderful shops; to satisfy the geek side of me, Curious Comics is offering delivery of their stock, Legends Comics has pick up at their door and a few others are following in the footsteps of the latter operation. The diners here are suffering the most.

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10.23.19
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Give Me a Home with the 10 Acres Bistro

10 Acres Bistro
811 Courtney St
Victoria, BC

Phone: (250) 220-8008
Hours: 11a.m.–11p.m.

Menu: 10acres.ca

I feel home at the range here, at 10 Acres Bistro. Part of their menu change on a seasonal basis, and it makes visiting every once in a while different. When they source straight from the farm, some of what’s offered for meals are on a limited basis. And they arrive at the table all dressed up with only one place to go–my stomach! I find the Fall season offers a lot more delectable delights than the late Winter, but it all depends.

One time I went here was for one of the Victoria Film Festival‘s launch party for their guide. That was years ago and was held at the other side of the venue. That is, including the bar section and The Oyster Bar, I heard it’s all run under the same banner known as The Commons. Another time was for a chance to meet Linda Blair, of The Exorcist fame. I enjoy how different spaces in this venue can be used for any occasion. Normally, it’s a date place; it’s a quiet and cozy environment.

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09.01.19
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From Victoria to Vancouver Fringe, Who is Crazy for Dick Tricks?

In what keeps me coming back for Crazy For Dick Tricks is in how Tim Motley is a consummate entertainer. He knows his playing cards and every new deck he has to burn through inside and out, can rap with the best (I wonder how he’d do in a battle slam moment though) and can bring in the crowds at many a performance venue. He’s wrapping up his round of shows at the Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival and will soon visit Vancouver Fringe starting Sept 6th.

Double entendres aside, which makes up part of the appeal of his shows, his style of stand-up comedy is right up my alley!

On stage, he is Dirk Darrow, a hard-boiled 1930s detective. He’s the P.I. who can woo any femme fetale in this latest case (complete with a few James Bond style voice over moments), He’s the Dick in that true old-fashioned sense where he’s right at home with Sam Spade. I first saw these shows under the assumption he’s a paranormal investigator than private, but when I saw his magic prowess, I was hooked. Some iterations include him applying mentalism too, so the occult is never too far.

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