The Victoria music fan’s calendar is overflowing with music festival choices as more and more of them pop up every summer. But there’s something a bit more special for those locals who attend VIC Fest, celebrating its fourth year in Victoria on June 14. With a combination of bands, DJs, food, drink, and art, VIC Fest prides itself on celebrating Victoria and Vancouver Island culture.
“Our main goal, and the root of the festival, is to celebrate some of these great exports that we have here on the island,” says organizer Dylan Willows, also an on-air personality at The Zone, Victoria’s modern rock radio station. “We’ve got world-class beer, we’ve got world-class wine, we’ve got world-class musicians, and I just felt like it was an exciting opportunity to bring all of the people who enjoy those things individually together into one big mixing pot.”
Featuring over a dozen bands, numerous food trucks, and a bevy of craft breweries and wineries on the picturesque St. Ann’s Academy grounds, VIC Fest is one of the few music festivals that takes place in downtown Victoria, giving it a different vibe than the summer camping festivals on other parts of the island.
“When we were looking for sites five years ago, the most important thing was that it had to be downtown,” says Willows. “I think it’s beautiful downtown, and I thought it was a great opportunity to bring people into the city centre and see the stunning grounds of St. Ann’s, which a lot of people don’t even know exists. So it was an accessibility thing, and I never wanted it to be a camp overnight type of festival.”
Bryan Capistrano, who regularly DJs local festivals under the name DJ Botaino, says VIC Fest is about celebrating Victoria and the island, which makes it one of his favourite summertime gigs.
“There’s something about VIC Fest that gives you this overwhelming sense of pride in our island,” says Capistrano, a Camosun grad and former Nexus contributor. “I’ve been lucky enough to play VIC Fest every year since its inception. Last year was cool for three reasons: the weather rocked, the stage crew and workers are some of the nicest people you’d ever encounter, and the atmosphere of the festival is pretty incredible.”
Hawk and Steel vocalist/guitarist Peter Gardner is looking forward to playing VIC Fest for the first time and agrees with Capistrano that the one-day event is more about highlighting Victoria than herding as many people into a venue as possible to see big bands.
“We’re happy to be asked to play it,” says Gardner, also a former Camosun student and Nexus contributor. “It’s cool because it has a bit of a different twist than the average festival. This one has the intention of showing off how cool Victoria is, as opposed to just having a party.”
Tacofino is one of the food trucks on site during the event, and co-owner Josh Carlsen says that although outdoor festivals like VIC Fest provide certain challenges for them, they are always a great way to expose themselves to new customers and make them feel like they are truly part of the community.
“Being a festival food vendor is a bittersweet mixture of chaos and reward. At the end of the day, the people we serve are having a good time and that keeps us going, too,” says Carlsen. “We love getting out and being a part of our community and reaching new customers, and the festivals offer a great resource for that.”
One of the popular features of VIC Fest is their songwriters’ circle and workshop. Hosted by the charitable foundation Music BC, the intimate event takes place in St. Ann’s Chapel, and this year’s guest songwriters will be announced closer to the event.
“I love the songwriters’ workshop,” says Capistrano. “I’m in no way a songwriter, but it’s a true testament to the uniqueness of the island’s music scene… artists helping artists.”
VIC Fest features four different outdoor stages around the St. Ann’s Academy grounds. Gardner’s band and Capistrano will share the stage with Said the Whale, Bear Mountain, Towers & Trees, The Roper Show, Pigeon Hole, Man Made Lake, Robbie Ayelsworth, Scotty Hills, Lola Parks, Evan Bourque, and DJ Murge.
Besides all of the musical choices available, Gardner says he’s also excited to just wander around the grounds and sample the food and drink wares.
“The whole thing is just a really awesome showcase of what Victoria, and really what Vancouver Island, has to offer. It’s really cool,” he says. “We’ll probably spend most of our time walking around, drinking, and eating.”
Scaling back from last year’s two-day festival was a way to focus on the experience and produce the best festival possible in a single day, says Willows.
“If we can stay focused on that one day, those 12 hours, to just inundate you with sensory overload, with art, and music, and food, and beer, and wine, and everything,” he says, “then I think one day is enough.”
VIC Fest
11 am-10 pm, Saturday June 14
St. Ann’s Academy, $45+tax
vicfest.ca