Today is the big day. The Greater Victoria Festival Society (GVFS) says thousands are expected to attend the 124th Thrifty Foods Victoria Day Parade, which will take to downtown streets this Monday, May 20. The annual parade kicks off on Douglas Street near Mayfair Mall at 9 a.m. before wrapping up near Courtney Street.
For those who can’t attend in person, the parade will be broadcast live on CHEK (channel six) and the free CHEK+ app.
CHEK is also streaming the parade on YouTube:
According to Kelly Kurta with the GVFS, an estimated 75,000 people could attend the parade that will envelop downtown Victoria streets.
“Very exciting. It’s incredible. Pretty cool,” said Kurta in an interview Sunday.
“The weather’s stunning. Great weather forecast. It’s a little bit cloudy, which is great. We don’t want it too hot for those who are marching in it, young or old.”
She tells CHEK News that more than 3,300 people will be participating, and 85 floats have been entered, including some hailing from other countries to take part in the annual tradition.
“We’re just so thankful for all the support from our community. We fundraised so much to be able to be here in order to perform,” said Tommy Catron, one of the drum majors for the Hoquiam High School band that travelled all the way from Washington State.
READ ALSO: B.C.-bound high school band raises $45K to march in Victoria Day parade
The parade kicks off on Douglas Street near Mayfair Mall at 9 a.m. and then cruises down Douglas, through downtown, before reaching Courtney Street. Victoria police say drivers can expect road closures and some traffic disruptions while the event is underway, adding that roads should be back open around 1:30 p.m.
Police are also deploying CCTV cameras.
“Note that there will be no parking on Douglas Street along the parade route and no overnight parking signage will be posted,” said VicPD in a news release. “VicPD Officers and Reserve Constables will be on-site to help ensure that the parade is a safe, family-friendly event.”
Century-old tradition
The parade is a local Victoria tradition that’s been around for more than a century. The city lauds it as Victoria’s longest-running parade, and file footage from the ’60s shows some vintage floats. Watch the footage in the TikTok video below:
@chek.news There’s just one more sleep until the big day. The Greater Victoria Festival Society says thousands are expected to attend the 124th Victoria Day Parade, which will take to downtown streets this Monday, May 20. The annual parade kicks off on Douglas Street near Mayfair Mall at 9 a.m. before wrapping up near Courtney Street. #victoriadayparade #Victoria #parade #floats #VictoriaBC #BC #BCNews #vancouverisland #events #maylongweekend #May20 #CHEKNews #cheknewsvancouverisland #CHEKPlus #watchlive
“Twenty-five years we’ve been doing this parade and it’s always a good time. All the families, the children and the community all coming together,” said Rob Galey, owner of Galey Farms.
Kurta says thousands of parade participants don’t actually live in Greater Victoria, so they have to stay in local hotels. According to the organizer, that means about 1,000 hotel rooms get booked up over the span of three days, and an estimated $7 million is injected into Victoria’s economy each year all thanks to the parade.
“That’s just the participants, not the tourists. It’s a lot. We have 3,300 participants, and close to 2,000 of them are from out of town,” she said.
When this year’s parade wraps up, Kurta adds that organizers will soon begin planning for the next one, which is set to be a “big” celebration as it marks the 125th year.
“It’s a big year next year,” she added.
Victoria Day long weekend events took place prior to the 2024 parade, and more are scheduled for after the event, including Gordy Dodd’s One World Cultural Festival, which will feature dancers.
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