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The top weekend activities to check out in Greater Victoria

From cannabis to home shows, we’ve got you covered
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Grade 12 actors with the school district’s Program for Academic and Creative Enrichment (PACE) strike a pose at the Isabelle Reader Theatre. Roughly 300 students are getting set to hit the stage for the annual spring show called The Greatest Show beginning this weekend. (Kendra Wong/News Gazette staff)

This weekend is packed full with great events across the region. Here are just a few examples of what’s taking place.

National Cannabis Conference

The inaugural National Cannabis Conference takes over Crystal Gardens starting Friday, April 20. This two-day event is part meet-and-greet, part trade show and educational opportunity.

Friday afternoon offers a cocktail reception and sneak peek of the trade show for VIPs and sponsors, who will be able to mingle and talk business with exhibitors and investors. A 4/20 party winds up the evening, with music and a cash bar.

Saturday’s activities, to be officially opened by Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, include a trade show where visitors can discover what local merchants have to offer. The day also features a series of workshops, including those specifically aimed at retailers of cannabis products and others offering general information about legislation updates, rules and regulations and more.

Spring Home Expo

Also kicking off on Friday is the 33rd annual Spring Home Expo. This expo transforms West Shore Parks and Recreation in Colwood, 1767 Island Hwy., for a three-day event with more than 280 exhibits showcasing just about everything home-related, including some show-only displays and fun gadgets.

Continuing tradition, attendees can get up close and personal with experts in home improvements, renovations, decor, design, outdoor living spaces and much more.

The show runs from 1 to 9 p.m. on Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission and parking are free.

The Greatest Show

As part of the Program for Academic and Creative Enrichment (PACE), roughly 300 students are set to perform in The Greatest Show, which includes a wide range of pieces including Broadway favourites such as Cats, as well as songs from The Greatest Showman, Grease, and The Descendants. There will even be a Harry Potter medley.

The Greatest Show takes place April 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28 at 7 p.m at the Isabelle Reader Theatre (1026 Goldstream Ave.) There will also be matinees on April 21, 22 and 28 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Call 250-391-9002 to reserve.

Bowl for Kids’ Sake

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria and Area is hosting a fundraiser, Bowl for Kids’ Sake this weekend in hopes of raising funds and recruiting more volunteers. Roughly 120 kids are on the wait list for the region.

Even if you’re not a bowler, you can stop by Langford Lanes to check out the silent auction and more.

Horticultural Centre of the Pacific spring plant sale

This weekend is the Horticultural Centre of the Pacific’s, 505 Quayle Rd., annual Spring Plant Sale in Saanich.

The event runs Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the gardens is free that day during plant sales.

Sarah Beckett Memorial Cruise 2018

As part of the third annual Sarah Beckett Memorial Cruise 2018, drivers will meet at the Fountain Tire on Jacklin Road and will drive up Island to Port Renfrew, before making the trek back.

In 2017, there were roughly 125 cars that made the trip – some coming from as far away as Campbell River to participate. That year, the cruise raised close to $1,000 through the sale of decals and food donations. The funds were donated to the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program, which empowers youth with the critical thinking and life skills necessary to choose a drug-free life. It was a program Beckett advocated for through most of her policing career

The Sarah Beckett Memorial Cruise takes place on Sunday, April 22 outside Fountain Tire (2924 Jacklin Rd.). Drivers are asked to meet around 8 a.m., and the cruise will depart around 9:30 a.m. with a police escort up to the Malahat.

EARTH DAY EXTRA: Celebrate with Surfrider

What better way to celebrate and support Earth on Earth Day than to spend it with Surfrider improving the health of local beaches.

Surfrider Vancouver Island, a chapter of the non-profit environmental organization Surfrider Foundation that is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches, is inviting people to meet at Clover Point on Sunday (April 22) for a beach cleanup and social gathering.

From 1 to 3 p.m., volunteers will scour the beaches and pick up debris. There will be prizes for the group with the largest amount or the most unique piece of garbage.


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editor@goldstreamgazette.com