Oak Bay is the place to be for Christmas with events and special Christmas activities taking place throughout the season. Kicking off the celebration on Nov. 27 is the eleventh annual Oak Bay Christmas Festival light-up.
Thousands of LED lights, decorations and giant wreaths adorn buildings, trees and lamp posts along Oak Bay Avenue. The lights come on Sunday, Nov. 27 with family entertainment, giant games and magical fun.
“It’s gone through few a evolutions,” said Heather Leary, project manager. “It started with a variety show and grew bigger, so we hired a band to play, then it grew in scope again. It’s been really good – the community loves the event. One year we had to postpone because of snow and people could not wait.”
Leary said attendance has grown in recent years as more and more families are moving into the area.
Musical entertainment includes Daniel Lapp, Oliver Swain and Celtic guitarist Quinn Bachand with an old-time Appalachian Christmas concert, the Joy of Life Choir and the B.C. Fiddle Orchestra. Visitors can get an up-close and personal look at Galey Farms’ 80-foot long parade float and don’t forget to bring your Christmas wish list as Canada Post will be there with its decorated van collecting letters to Santa.
Lights come on at 5 p.m. to start the Christmas festival and Santa arrives shortly after on an Oak Bay fire truck to welcome one and all and share a Christmas greeting, then Oak Bay’s town crier will pronounce the Christmas Festival officially underway. After, you can get a photo with Santa at Athlone travel, by donation to next year’s Tour de Rock team or enjoy a snack of roasted chestnuts.
Musical selections will be lively, ranging from Southern spiritual to bluegrass to banjo and fiddle solos. There will also be a selection of Christmas favourites including the 12 Days of Christmas with onstage host Bill Murphy-Dyson. This upbeat concert features a range of music including, banjo and fiddle, and favourite Christmas tunes.
The entertainment gets started at 3 p.m. with the light-up countdown just before 5 p.m. at the stage on Oak Bay Avenue and Hampshire Road.
The lights and festivities will shine on until the first week of January. For more information go to visitoakbayvillage.ca.
editor@oakbaynews.com
Trucks roll into town
Oak Bay Village welcomes the Parade of Lighted Trucks on Saturday, Dec. 3. At 6:30 p.m. more than 80 brightly decorated trucks, including cement trucks, cranes and other working vehicles will rumble by. The parade is held to raise food and donations for the Mustard Seed and food drop locations will be set up across from the municipal hall on Oak Bay Avenue and on Oak Bay Avenue near Foul Bay Road. Volunteers will be collecting donations from spectators before and during the parade.