10 Things To Do In Victoria This September

September is here, but that doesn’t mean you need to say so long to summer. Nestled on the southernmost tip of Vancouver Island, summer lingers a little longer in Greater Victoria. So, make the most of the sunshine this September and take the time to explore. From our sunswept beaches to our manicured gardens and performances that are truly out of this world, you’re sure to find something to make your summer that much sweeter. Take a dive, headfirst, into our handy dandy guide to a sensational September in Victoria!

1. Rock Out to Rifflandia!

Let the riffs roll! Rifflandia Music Festival returns for another year of head banging, heart pounding, musical goodness! And this year, they’re pulling out all the stops with a weekend mixtape of endless summer vibes. Catch the likes of TLC, REZZ, Feist, Ja Rule, Oliver Tree, The Beaches, and more, way more! This year’s festival provides new ways to connect with the music including the Rifflandia Supper Club, Side Stage Viewing, and the perfect back-yard patio viewing experience, The Pod (it’s a little like having your own private living room… in the middle of a music festival!). So, throw your hands up and get down with Rifflandia, it’s sure to strike the right note with every music lover. Don’t miss this incredible weekend, September 13-15th at Matullia Lands in Rock Bay.

2. Sip Cider at the Cider Harvest Festival

Sip. Sample. Savour. Repeat. Those are the four easy steps to follow at the 6th Annual Cider Harvest Festival at Merridale Cidery & Distillery. Nestled in the heart of the Cowichan Valley, Merridale invites cideries from across the province to showcase the best of BC craft cider. A ticket to the festival features sips from top farm-based cideries, a pop-up liquor store (so you can take your favourites home), transportation from Victoria or Langford, a souvenir tasting glass, and live music. Round out your evening with hand held eats or even a larger meal at Merridale’s Instagram-worthy farmhouse eatery (make sure you try the apple pie!). Whether you’re into sweet, dry, scrumpy, or perry, there’s a cider for you waiting to be found at the Cider Harvest Festival. Early bird tickets are just $45 per person, find more information here.

3. Attend the South Island Powwow

Join the Songhees Nation and Nation’s from across the South Island for the South Island Powwow. The South Island Powwow is where tradition and culture come alive, as it celebrates the stories of the stewards of our land that span from present day to time immemorial. The powwow takes place on National Truth and Reconciliation Day (September 30th) and celebrates traditional Indigenous culture and resiliency through song and dance, while recognizing survivors and their families in the spirit of reconciliation. The gates open at Royal Athletic Park at 10:00AM with Grand Entries at noon and 6:00PM. Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to experience this powerful and moving event. Learn more here.

4. Be a Beach Bum

September is World Beach Month! Surrounded by west coast waves, Victoria serves up everything from sprawling seascapes to hidden pocket beaches that are perfect for beachcombing, catching rays, or even seas-ing the day! Grab your beach blanket, ball, and chair, dig your toes into the sand, and soak up some South Island sunshine. A few of our favourites are Willows Beach, Gonzales Beach, Island View Beach Regional Park, and for those of us with children, Cadboro-Gyro Park, which features a fun play area. Get sun-kissed on Greater Victoria’s best beaches before summer’s gone.

5. Visit the Victoria Camera Club Print Exhibition

Picture-perfect Victoria takes centre stage at the Victoria Camera Club’s 80th Anniversary Print Exhibition. Join the VCC at the Bay Centre and celebrate the work of our talented local photographers, as over 100 prints will be on display. See Victoria through the eyes… or lens, of a local, as you take in the “A Day in the Life of Victoria” exhibit, also on display, that was snapped by Camera Club members throughout the city on June 1st. Whether captured candidly or during golden hour, prime or nifty fifty, this one is surely for the shutterbugs. This free public event runs September 5th to 29th, Tuesday to Sunday, from noon to 5:00PM. Learn more here.

6. Take a Garden Tour

Gather up your fellow green thumbs for this garden tour. The Victoria Urban Food Garden Tour invites you on a self-guided tour of 11 creative and inspiring home food gardens, digging into innovative gardening techniques and sustainable practices. Start at the garden of your choice and chat with home gardeners and expert-gardener volunteers about year-round food production at home, including veggies, bees, chickens, fruit trees, berries, greenhouses, urban wildlife habitat, soils, compost, sustainable water use, and more! This un-bee-leaf-able tour runs September 7th from 10:00AM to 6:00PM and tickets are just $25. Find more information here.

Fall is officially just around the corner, get one last glimpse of those summer blooms. As Canada’s City of Gardens, Victoria is home to world-class gardens including The Butchart Gardens, Abkhazi Gardens, the Gardens at HCP, as well as free to view public gardens at Beacon Hill Park and Government House, just to name a few.

7. Explore Harvest Season on the Flavour Trails

As the growing season draws to a close and the autumnal hues begin to take hold, our local farmers take to the fields to reap what they have sewn. Greater Victoria’s distinctive microclimate beneath our big blue hole between the Olympic and Cascade mountains provides growing conditions unlike anywhere else in the country. Explore the rich agritourism experiences of our region, scuttling along backroads and across open fields to follow the trail from farm to fork and back again on the Flavour Trails. In 2024, there’s even more to discover, whether travelling through the Saanich Peninsula, Westshore, or even the Southern Gulf Islands. So, grab your fork, whether pitch or dining, and head out in search of fresh, local flavours and meet our growers, producers, and makers along the way.

8. Take in Tanya Tagaq and The Victoria Symphony

Internationally acclaimed artist Tanya Tagaq brings her visceral stage presence to The Farquhar at UVic. A Juno Award winner and recipient of the Order of Canada, Tanya is an Inuk improvisational singer, whose work pushes the envelope of cultural, political, and environmental change. Tanya brings her award-winning throat singing performance, a technique which dates back tens of thousands of years, and a moderated discussion all the way from Iqaluktuuttiaq, Nunavut, to Victoria, BC, and pairs it with the orchestral majesty of the Victoria Symphony. Tickets start at $48, learn more here.

9. Experience Choir in the Cosmos

The Vox Humana Choir presents Vox in the Stars, an otherworldly performance of celestially-inspired choral music performed under the stars and from within the 106-year old Plaskett Telescope at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, a National Historic Site and Federal Heritage Building. Prepare for liftoff as the choir reach for the stars while exploring themes of astronomy, science, and the majesty of the heavens. Catch any or all of three performances running from September 13-15th at the Centre of the Universe. Tickets are $45 per person; more information can be found here.

10. Enjoy Breakfast in Bed

Saturday, September 28th is breakfast in bed day! This sacred homegrown ritual tastes even better with Victoria’s scrumptious food scene (#8 in the world!) and the comfort and relaxation offered by our boutique accommodations providers. Let our playful west coast chefs and welcoming service staff awaken you to a world of delicious wonders. Start your morning right with fabulous food from Q at the Empress at the Fairmont Empress, Fathom at Hotel Grand Pacific, The Courtney Room at the Magnolia Hotel & Spa, the Aegir Room at the Oswego Hotel, AURA at the Inn at Laurel Point, or Lure Restaurant & Bar at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort. With the highest number of restaurants per capita in Canada, and accommodations fit for a queen, you’re guaranteed to find the perfect start to your day at Victoria’s hotels, inns, and B&Bs.