Events

 

Thurs. Dec. 29

The Magic of Christmas – Take a stroll around the beautifully lit gardens and see if you can find all of the 12 days of Christmas distplays. THURSDAYS-SATURDAY 9am-9pm, SUNDAY 1pm-9pm & MONDAY-Jan. 6 9am-9pm at Butchart Gardens (800 Benvenuto). $3-$25. butchartgardens.com/christmas.

Helmcken House Old-Fashioned Christmas – Discover the Christmas traditions of early Victorians at Helmcken House with activities and crafts. THURSDAY-SATURDAY noon-4pm at 675 Belleville. Free with museum admission/by donation. 250-387-2137.

Sat. Dec. 31

Peninsula New Year’s Celebration – Ring in the New Year with fun, food, music and dancing. 5pm at the Panorama Rec Centre (1885 Forst Park). Free-$15. peninsulacelebrations.ca/events.

Sun. Jan. 1

New Year’s Day Levée – Enjoy light refreshments and the music of the Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific and the Canadian Scottish Regiment Pipes and Drums. 10am-noon at Government House (1401 Rockland). Free. 250-387-2080, ltgov.bc.ca.

Ongoing

Eagle Viewing – Drop by and see Eagles as they feed on spawned salmon. THURSDAYS-WEDNESDAY 9am-4:30pm at Goldstream Park. Free. 250-478-9414.

Festival of Trees – Enjoy beautifully decorated trees and help raise funds for The BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. THURSDAYS-WEDNESDAYS to Jan. 6 at the Empress (721 Government). By donation. fairmont.com/empress.

The Versatile Group – All artists of any genre are invited to share their ideas, work and successes. FRIDAYS 2-4pm at The Moka House, Shoal Point (16 Dallas). Free. 778-433-0537.

Victoria flea market – Offering a huge assortment of interesting things. SUNDAYS 9am-2pm at the DaVinci Centre. $2/free after 1pm. 250-381-5033.

Weekly Winter Market – Ongoing weekly Sunday market featuring vendors with handcrafted funky accessories and hair accent pieces, one of a kind festival style apparel, vintage clothing, storytelling, live entertainment, a kids zone and more. SUNDAYS noon-5pm at The Well (821 Fort). Free.

Board games Night – Scrabble and more! SUNDAY 5:30pm at the Superior (106 Superior). Free. 250-380-9515.

SCRABBLE NIGHT – Bring a board game and a friend, or play on the in-house boards and find an opponent there. TUESDAYS 6:30-9pm at James Bay Coffee & Books. Free. 250-386-4700.

Bear Wear – Visit some fashionable teddy bears. Proceeds support the Queen Alexandra School Age Program. To Jan. 3 at the Hotel Grand Pacific (463 Belleville). Free. jane.bowers@viha.ca.

 

 

Dance

 

Sat. Dec. 31

New Year’s Eve Party – Dinner and dance. 7pm at the Da Vinci Centre (195 Bay). $80. davincicentre.ca.

New Year’s Eve – Dinner and dance with Spirit of the Moment. 7:30pm at Murph’s Place (3020 Douglas). Free. 250-418-1000.

Latin Dance New Years Eve – Dance the New Year in with Proyecto Latino and Ganas. 8pm at St. Andrew’s Hall (680 Courtney). $15. 250-888-5314.

Dance Dance Resolution – Rennie Foster hosts this New Years dance party. Dress to impress. 9pm in the Sunset Room (401 Herald). $20. 250-532-6892.

ONGoing

Salsa caliente – Beginner and advanced salsa, THURSDAYS 8-10pm. Intermediate mambo, MONDAYS 6:30-7:30pm. Fundamentals of mambo TUESDAYS 6-7pm. Latin workout WEDNESDAYS 6:30-7:30pm. All at Café Casablanca (2524 Bridge). $10. 250-389-0222.

Saanich International Folkdancers – No partner or experience needed. Please wear soft-soled shoes. FRIDAYS 7pm at the Fairfield United Church (1303 Fairfield). $5/$4 students/free children under 12. 250-384-0592, balkanbarb@hotmail.com.

club salsa – Dance to salsa, cha-hca-cha, merengue and more. All ages welcome. 8pm at Dance Victoria (111-2750 Quadra). $10. 250-419-1130.

VBDS BALLROOM DANCE WORKSHOPS – Pre-Bronze/Bronze Waltz 1-2pm, $5/$8/$10 per person, per workshop. Intro to Social Foxtrot and Rumba 2-3pm, $5 per person, per workshop. Singles & couples welcome. SATURDAYS 1-3pm at the Les Passmore Centre (286 Hampton). 250-721-5483, vbds.org.

West Coast Swing Classes –

Dance to Blues, Country, R&B and Top 40. No partner or experience required. SUNDAYS 6-7pm at Studio 7 (1221 Broad). $13 drop-in. 250-382-4500.

Tango Vita – Beginner classes with Hilda-René SATURDAYS 7pm, intermediate 8pm, Milonga 9pm at 306-1221 Broad, 250-477-6360. Beginner and intermediate classes with Jorge-Liliana WEDNESDAYS 8pm, Milonga 9pm at St. Matthias Hall (600 Richmond), 250-858-1234. tangovita.com.

SWING – Dance to Nightclub music. SATURDAYS 9pm at the Carlton Club (900 Carlton). $5. jayholman@telus.net.

Nuevo Tango Classes – SUNDAYS, Beginners 2pm, intermediate 3:15pm, practice 4:30pm. All at the Martin Batchelor Gallery (712 Cormorant). $12/$9 students. 778 432-0112, passion4tango.com.

Contemporary Dance – MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS 6-7:30pm at the The Victoria School of Contemporary Dance (649 Gorge East). $15/$8. 250-383-7183.

Cuban Salsa – Classes with Salsa Moderna. Beginner and intermediate MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS 7:30-9:30pm at Café Casablanca (2523 Bridge). 250-891-2310, latinvictoria.ca.

salsa – TUESDAYS Beginner’s lesson 7pm & intermediate lesson 8:15pm at Studio 4 Athletics (715 Yates). $15. salsavictoria.com.

Vic BALLROOM DANCE Society – Practice. FRIDAYS 7-9:30pm at Les Passmore Centre (286 Hampton). WEDNESDAYS 7:45-10pm at Cedar Hill Rec Centre (3220 Cedar Hill). Free for first-timers. 250-721-5483, vbds.org.

 

Active

 

Thurs. Dec. 29

Skate outdoors – Skate outdoors on the Centennial Square rink. Limited rentals available. THURSDAY-SATURDAY & MONDAY noon-8pm at Centennial Square. $2.

Trail tails – Find out how Raven tricked the Crow, where our Island chickadees came from and much more with a CRD Regional Parks’ naturalist on this storyteller’s walk through the woods. 10-11:30 am at the information kiosk in the parking lot off Inverness (Coles Bay Regional Park). Free. 250-478-3344.

Sat. Dec. 31

Run Through Time – Start the New Year off right with this 5km run, 3km walk, or 1km kids run. Proceeds support the Shoes for Youth Program. 6pm at the McKinnon Gym (UVic). $5-$20. 250-384-3381.

Sun. Jan. 1

Polar bear swim – Enjoy an invigorating start to the New Year by jumping into the winter ocean! Noon at the beach access at Lochside Drive (just down from Tulista Park). Free. peninsulacelebrations.ca/events.

TUES. Jan. 3

walksmart – Walks with coffee and chat to follow. TUESDAYS-FRIDAYS 9am at the Royal Oak McDonald’s (691 Manukau). Free. 250-479-4087, walksmartvictoria@shaw.ca.

ongoing

moksha yoga – Find out what hot yoga is all about. THURSDAYS 2-3:30pm, SATURDAYS 1:30-3pm & MONDAYS 3:15-4:15pm at Moksha Yoga (1088 Fort). $7. 250-385-9642.

Axe Capoeira – Learn the Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, sports and music. Kids classes THURSDAYS & TUESDAYS 3:45-4:45pm. Adults classes SUNDAYS 11:45am-1:45pm. All at Burnside Gym (3130 Jutland). $65 per month for children/$50 per month for adults. 250-884-7998.

ASHTANGA BASICS – Come try a community class geared for all levels and great for beginners. THURSDAY 7-8:15pm ($6-10) & TUESDAY 9:30-10:45 (By donation) at The Yoga Shala (1322 Broad). 250-383-3849.

Ghostly Walks – We’re living in BC’s most haunted city. Find out why and where on this 90 minute walk. No registration required. FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS 7:30pm outside the Visitor Information Centre (Government at Wharf). $13/$11 students. 250-384-6698.

Karma Class – The regular Moksha series practiced in one hour. All proceeds go to a different charity each month. See what this “hot yoga thing” is all about. Bring your friends and family.” FRIDAYS 8pm at Moksha Yoga (1088 Fort). $7.

Volkssport Walks – 10km New Year’s Eve walk. SATURDAY 10pm at Tim Horton’s (880 Esquimalt).  250-642-4515.

 

Spiritual

 

Thurs. Dec. 29

Healing Sound Meditation – Galilee Star guides participants through a series of meditative techniques allowing to activate and harmonize the body and soul to connect with source. THURSDAY 7-8:30pm at The Church of Truth (111 Superior). $20. galalisa.com.

Sat. Dec. 31

DANCES OF UNIVERSAL PEACE – Meditations in motion, combining peace-catalyzing sacred phrases from many spiritual traditions, with simple folkdance movements. Dance followed by potluck, please bring your favorite finger foods. No experience is necessary. 7-9pm at the Church of Truth (111 Superior). $7-$10. kjphoenix@dancingflowers.com, DancesOfUniversalPeace.org.

Wed. Jan. 4

Astrology and Tarot – Asteroid Goddesses of Relatedness: Juno the Wife and Vesta the Virgin/Priestess. Registration required. 3-5:30pm or 7-9:30pm at 429 Vancouver. $20 for first timers/half-price if you bring a new participant. 250-381-4299.

Ongoing

Learn to Meditate – Learn mantra meditation. THURSDAYS 4:30-5:15pm in the Interfaith Chapel (UVic). Free. 250-721-8338

Dharma Teachings – With Resident Lama Jhampa Tenzin. THURSDAYS 7-9pm at the Victoria Dharma Centre (3371 Maplewood). By donation. 250-385-4828.

Meditation – Emotional freedom technique and insight meditation. THURSDAYS 7-9pm at Unity Church of Victoria (838 Pandora). By donation. 250-382-1613.

SAHAJ MARG MEDITATION INTRODUCTORY TALKs – A heart-centred meditation practiced worldwide for real change from the inside out. Call for details. SATURDAYS 11am-1pm. Free. 250-595-4732 the.

Buddhist Community Sits –

Silent meditation followed by taped Dharma talks and discussion. SUNDAYS 7-9pm at Lynn Wylie Yoga Studio (202-1600 Bay). By donation. 250-380-6383.

A Course in Miracles – Unite the light in you. In-depth study group. MONDAYS 7-9pm at James Bay New Horizons (234 Menzies). $2. 250-220-9797.

WAY OF MASTERY – Taking you from sleep to wakefulness, from illusion to reality. Reminding you of who you are. WEDNESDAYS 7-9:30pm at 415-200 Dallas. By donation. 250-920-0948.

Zen meditation – Learn Zen mediation. TUESDAYS 7-8pm in the Interfaith Chapel (UVic). Free. 250-721-8338.

Drop-In Meditation – Includes guided meditation, practical instruction and discussion. MONDAYS 7-8:30pm and WEDNESDAYS 10-11:30 am at Bodhichitta Buddhist Centre (2020A Douglas). WEDNESDAYS 7-8:30pm at Fairfield United Church (1303 Fairfield). THURSDAYS 7-8:30pm James Bay United Church (511 Michigan). 250-592-7164, meditateinvictoria.org.

 

Community

 

Call for Submissions – Vancouver Island Music Awards. Deadline: Dec. 31. All genres. Info available at islandmusicawards.wordpress.com.

Seeking singers – The Viva Youth Choir is holding interviews and auditions for term two Jan. 3-5. Singers between the ages of 7-17 are welcome to contact Viva at 250-472-2655 or viva@vivachoirs.ca. Details at vivachoirs.ca.

Seeking singers – Newcombe Singers Choir welcomes new members, especially in the Tenor/Bass range. The ability to read music would be an advantage, but not a necessity. Attend the first two rehersals commitment free. TUESDAYS 7:30-9:30pm at St. Mary’s Church (1701 Elgin). 250-480-5087, newcombesingers.com.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR BRAIN-EXERCISE STUDY –  Dr. Brian Christie, a neuroscientist in the University of Victoria’s Division of Medical Sciences, is seeking community help to find out uf exercise improve memory and learning in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. He’s looking for children with FASD between the ages of six and 17 to participate in a 12-week exercise program. Visit fasdatuvic.ca or call 250-472-4244 for more info.

call for artists – The Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival is accepting applications for their 2012 festival. Submission deadline: Jan. 10, 2012. Apply online at intrepidtheatre.com.

call for submissions – Artists, Curators, Musicians and Performers from Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands are invited to submit proposals for Xchanges’ next gallery season. Xchanges Gallery programming is open to diverse, contemporary and traditional visual arts disciplines with a particular interest in exhibiting artists at the early stages of their career and those who have taken a new departure with their work. Deadline: Jan. 15. More details at xchangesgallery.org.

CRD development project grants – CRD Arts Development Project grants provide support for arts organizations that work on a project-to-project basis, new and emerging arts organization and arts organizations undertaking special, one-time initiatives or unique or developmental projects. Application deadline: Jan. 13, 4:30pm. Information and applications are available at crd.bc.ca/arts.

SHARE UVIC memories – Organizers of UVic’s upcoming 50th anniversary celebrations are inviting members of the community to contribute to the anniversary website. The link to “Great Moments at UVic” is now live and ready to accept nominations about memorable events, achievements, campus developments and personal memories. Submission deadline: Jan. 20, 2012. To submit, go to uvic.ca/anniversary and click on the “Great Moments” tab.

Harmonious singers – Kids, teens, parents & grandparents sing together for the sheer fun of it. Feel free to try a “no-audition session”any MONDAY evening. For more details visit harmoniousfamilychoir.com, sing@harmoniousfamilychoir.com or 250-385-7464.

SUPPORT GROUP – Support group for phobias, generalized anxiety, panic attacks and OCD. With Dr. Tom Lipinski, registered psychologist. THURSDAYS 7-8:30pm at the Bridge Centre (125 Skinner). Free. 250-389-1211.

LifeRing – Addiction support program. FRIDAYS 6:30pm at Pearkes Rec Centre (3100 Tillicum). 250-920-2095.

SIPCCentre – Counsellor-led support group for mature women ready to re-explore their sexual orientation. $8/session. FRIDAYS 5-6:45pm at James Bay New Horizons.

Kiwanis House Program – Lifering support group for young mothers dealing with addiction. Free onsite childminding is available for young mothers participating in the program. TUESDAYS 6-7:15pm at 2652 Cook. Child minding starts at 5:30. Calling in advance is appreciated. 250-382-1004.

Dual Recovery Anonymous – Support group for recovery from both an addiction of any kind and a mental health issue. TUESDAYS 7:30pm in the BCSS Board Room (941 Kings). Free. 250-384-4225.

ALT LOVERS – Sagacity Alternative Lifestyle Society is where folks who enjoy BDSM, alternative lifestyles, kink, and fetish gather to talk, laugh, socialize, share and learn. TUESDAYS 7:30pm at the Ledge, Bedford Regency (1140 Government). Free. sagacitygroup.net.

queer youth DROP IN – South Island Pride Community Centre welcomes queer youth, friends, allies and youth from queer families. MONDAYS 6-8pm at Esquimalt Youth Centre (530 Fraser), WEDNESDAYS 6-8pm at Fairfield Community Place (1330 Fairfield). Free. southislandpridecentre.ca.

PFLAG- Confidential support for parents, families, friends, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, two-spirit, intersex, queer, questioning and allies. 250 592-0305, victoriabc@pflagcanada.ca.

become an AVI volunteer –

Volunteer with AIDS Vancouver Island. AIDS Vancouver Island (713 Johnson, 3rd floor). 250-384-2366 ext 2262. leslie.robinson@avi.org.

Overwhelming Emotions Support Group – Borderline personality disorder, self harm, PTSD? B.C. Schizophrenia Society meets regularly at 941 Kings. 250-383-5144 box 2127, bpdvictoria@gmail.com.

CRIDGE TRANSITION HOUSE –

Looking for female volunteers to drive women to appointments, take them apartment hunting, spend time with children letting them know they are valued and cared about, fill the house with delicious smells of baking and help out with dozens of other tasks and errands. 250-479-3963.

ANIMAL LOVERS – Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders needs volunteers to foster strays, answer phones, assist with transportation and trap feral cats. info@animalcrusaders.ca, 250-474-5581.

Volunteers Needed – To drive cancer patients to medical appointments. Contact the Canadian Cancer Society at 250-414-4253 or visit us online at cancervolunteer.ca.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES – Volunteer with Victoria Riding for the Disabled Association. No experience necessary. 16+. MONDAY-THURSDAY mornings and TUESDAY-THURSDAY afternoons. 778-426-0506, vrda@shaw.ca.