Dates: September 19 – October 12, 2025
Location: Multiple locations across Vancouver Island
Audience: All ages; families, art enthusiasts, and cultural explorers
Purpose: Celebrate and engage with local arts, culture, and heritage
Culture Days is an annual celebration that highlights the diversity and creativity of communities across Canada. Vancouver Island hosts a range of events during this period, offering visitors a unique opportunity to engage with artists, participate in workshops, and enjoy performances that reflect the island's rich cultural landscape.
When: September 30, 2025 | 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Where: Kaatza Adventures Lake Cowichan, 8570 North Shore Road, Lake Cowichan, Vancouver Island
Why visit: This deeply meaningful event offers a day of cultural remembrance, education, and community connection, centred on the powerful message of "Every Child Matters." Through ceremony, storytelling, and reflection rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing, the Ts’uubaa-asatx community encourages visitors to honour resilience, acknowledge history, and foster understanding through shared cultural experiences.
Read more about Every Child Matters
When: September 19 – October 12, 2025
Where: Cowichan Bay Maritime Centre, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island
Why visit: This uplifting event shines a light on emerging Indigenous artists through visual art, performance, and interactive experiences. Set against the scenic backdrop of Cowichan Bay, "Rising Tides" invites visitors to connect with youthful creativity, cultural expression, and contemporary Indigenous voices celebrated in community.
Read more about Rising Tides: A Celebration of Young Indigenous Artists
When: September 19 – October 12, 2025
Central Venue: Cowichan Performing Arts Centre (CPAC)
Address: 2687 James Street, Duncan, BC
Why visit: The Cowichan Performing Arts Centre serves as the central venue for the Cowichan Valley's Culture Days celebrations. This vibrant hub hosts a diverse array of events, including musical performances, film screenings, public skates, and gallery shows, showcasing the rich cultural tapestry of the region. With over 2% of British Columbia's visual artists residing in the Cowichan Valley Regional District, this is an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in local art, heritage, and community spirit.
Find out about the hub of Cowichan Culture Days
When: September 25, 2025 | 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Where: Vancouver Island Regional Library, 660 Primrose Street, Qualicum Beach, BC
Organizer: Diane Moran, Visual Artist & Community Connector
Why visit: Join textile artist Joyce McLellan for an engaging artist talk at the Qualicum Beach Library. She will share her personal connections to the land and sea, exploring how these elements inspire her textile art. The discussion will delve into her creative processes and the mediums she employs. A short Q&A session will follow, and light refreshments will be provided.
When:
Why visit: Join a hands-on community art project celebrating our connection to the ocean. Participants of all ages and abilities are invited to contribute to a collaborative tapestry, using provided materials to weave their thoughts and ideas into a shared piece of art. This event fosters creativity, community engagement, and environmental awareness. No prior weaving experience is necessary; just bring your creativity and a willingness to connect with others. The tapestry will evolve over the two days, culminating in a collective artwork that reflects the community's shared vision for a sustainable future. This project is part of the Qualicum Beach Culture Days hub, themed "Letting the Land and Sea Thrive in 2025," which includes various events focused on environmental conservation and artistic expression.
Read more about Oceans of Opportunity Tapestry
When: September 19 – October 12, 2025
Where: Qualicum Beach Regional Library, Community Hall, and Berwick Qualicum Beach (all within a 2-block radius)
Address: 660 Primrose Street, Qualicum Beach, BC
Organizer: Diane Moran, Visual Artist & Community Connector
Why visit: Celebrate our deep connection to the land and sea through art, music, film, and community. The Qualicum Beach Culture Days Hub invites you to explore how creative expression can help preserve and protect our oceans and forests. This hub features hands-on art experiences, live cello performances, film screenings, a textile art exhibition, public talks, and engaging displays, each centered on the Salish Sea, conservation, and the power of art.
When: September 20, 2025 | 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Where: Berwick Qualicum Beach, 120 First Avenue West, Qualicum Beach, BC
Organizer: Diane Moran, Visual Artist & Community Connector
Why visit: Experience a 30-minute film screening of Shared Waters, Shared Crisis, followed by a discussion led by the Georgia Strait Alliance on conservation efforts in the Salish Sea. The event also features a performance by the Sidewalk Cellist, Clara Shandler, offering a musical reflection on the themes of the film. Light refreshments will be provided during intermission. This event is part of the Qualicum Beach Culture Days hub, themed "Letting the Land and Sea Thrive in 2025," which runs from September 19 to October 12, 2025. The hub features a variety of events focused on environmental conservation and artistic expression.
When: September 16 – October 12, 2025
Where: Qualicum Beach Regional Library, 660 Primrose Street, Qualicum Beach, BC
Organizer: Diane Moran, Visual Artist & Community Connector
Why visit: Explore the vibrant textile works of Joyce McLellan, featuring quilts, felting, natural dyeing, and textile painting that reflect her Indigenous heritage and connection to the land and sea. This exhibition is part of the Qualicum Beach Culture Days hub, themed "Letting the Land and Sea Thrive in 2025," running from September 19 to October 12, 2025. The hub offers a variety of events focused on environmental conservation and artistic expression.
Read more about Common Threads Textiles Exhibition
When: August 1 to October 5 | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Gallery hours)
Where: Nanaimo Art Gallery, 160 Commercial Street, Nanaimo, BC
Organizer: Nanaimo Art Gallery (Artist: Germaine Koh)
Why visit: Enter a gallery transformed into a playful arena with League Nanaimo, where visitors are encouraged to invent and engage in impromptu games using everyday objects. Germaine Koh’s interactive installation overturns art-world norms—allowing jumping, dancing, running, and collective creation in a dynamic, inclusive space.
Read more about League Nanaimo
When:
Why visit: This vibrant, community-driven multi-arts festival celebrates its fifth year with storytelling panels, gardening and environmental workshops, visual art installations, food tastings, vendors, and evening ticketed concerts featuring artists like Rose Cousins, The Boom Booms, and The Lee Boys. Expect a spirited blend of creativity and connection.
Nila Abasian
Alireza Moghimehfar
