Saanich Strawberry Festival
Mark your calendars for Strawberry Fest 2026! Join Saanich in celebrating the 59th annual Strawberry Festival. This family-friendly, fun, free event features live music, kids' activities, information booths, arts and craft stations and, of course, the traditional servings of strawberries and ice cream.
When: Sunday, July 5, 2026, 11 am - 4 pm
Where: Beaver Lake Regional Park, 728 Beaver Lake Rd, main parking lot.
Strawberries and ice cream sales
The venue / How to Get Here
Activities for All Ages
Live Music
Vendors
Accessibility
Contact
Strawberries and Ice Cream - the best part of the event!
The traditional serving of strawberries and ice cream is back again! Strawberry Festival would not be complete without it.
Sales and service: 2 - 4 pm, or until sold out
Price: $2/serving
Did You Know:
- We no longer do pre-sales at 11 am. Sales and service both happen promptly at 2 pm. You'll line up only once! The line moves quickly with four cashiers and multiple options to pay.
- We now accept payment in cash and card (debit or credit).
- Our strawberries are from Michell's Farm Market! They are grown, picked, sliced and processed into the delicious strawberry ice cream topping entirely at Michell's Farm.
- We offer a choice of Island Farms vanilla ice cream or Cold Comfort Plain Jane vegan nice cream.
- Ice cream and strawberries will be served in reusable stainless steel metal bowls, diverting approximately 4,000 paper cups from the compost. Please return your bowls along with the red trays to the strawberry tent, to be washed, sanitized, and reused next year.
The Venue / How to Get Here
Strawberry Festival is split between two connected sites - Beaver Beach, which acts as the mainstage area, and the Filter Beds site, which acts as the kids zone. They are connected by a gravel walking path that runs along the lake. At the mainstage, you'll find live music, sales of strawberries and ice cream, vendors, information booths, food trucks and tents, washrooms, and more. At the kids zone, you'll find a kids stage, frozen treats and other food vendors, free art activities, kid-focused vendors and booths, a temporary tattoo station and more.
- Beaver Beach/Mainstage site plan - Coming soon!
- Filter beds/kids zone site plan - Coming soon!
There are lots of ways to get here!
The event venue has three parking lots, a shuttle stop and a free bike valet by The Locker.
Vehicle Parking:
Parking will be very tight, so please be patient if you choose to drive to the event. The main parking lot is at Beaver Beach, accessible via Elk Lake Drive near Haliburton. The secondary lot is at the Filter Beds location, accessible via the main parking lot or Beaver Lake Road off of West Saanich Road. We will also have an overflow lot in the field off of Elk Lake Drive.
Bike Valet:
No need to carry a bike lock! The Locker will be on-site with a free bike valet. Cruise up on your E bikes, cargo bikes, tricycles, daily commuters, pennyfarthings or unicycles to get the best parking at the event. The Locker will be stationed at the mainstage venue, and will be open from 11 am - 4 pm.
Shuttle:
Shuttles will be running continuously throughout the day from Saanich Commonwealth Place to the overflow lot to the main parking lot. Shuttles are free and can carry up to 24 passengers at a time.
The first shuttle trip will depart from the Commonwealth Pool at 11 am, and the final shuttle trip will depart from Beaver Beach at 4:45 pm.
- Shuttle stop 1 - Commonwealth Pool main entrance (at the circular pick up/drop off zone)
- Shuttle stop 2 - At the entrance to the overflow parking lot
- Shuttle stop 3 - at the main Beaver Beach parking lot.
Map: Coming Soon
BC Transit
The closest bus stops to the event venue are stop numbers 101540 (southbound) and 101538 (northbound). Buses servicing these stops include routes 35, 72 and 75. Once you disembark from the bus, simply walk down the drive into the park, or take the shuttle from Stop 2 at the overflow lot.
You can additionally take the bus to the Royal Oak Exchange, walk to Commonwealth Pool, and take the shuttle from there.
Activities for All Ages
There's lots to do at Strawberry Fest, no matter how young or old you are. Stay tuned for an exciting list of fun, free activities.
Live Music
We're featuring a blend of new and established local bands and entertainment on our stages this year, with a great mixture of styles and genres to satisfy everyone. The mainstage will have chairs set up for audience seating, but feel free to lounge on a picnic blanket or get up and dance if you wish to!
Mainstage:
11:15 am - 12:00 pm: Goldstream Band
Goldstream is a 5 piece Victoria band that consists of Carol on the Standup Bass, Jim on Dobro and Mandolin, Florian on Guitar, Marty on Guitar, and Tim on Banjo. When they perform their bluegrass, country, old time and foot stomping folk songs, they love to get people singing and dancing.
12:30 - 1:15 pm: TBC
1:45 - 2:30 pm: Jaya Bremer
The Jaya Bremer Quintet, is a Victoria-based jazz group bringing you swing music from the 1930's to 50's. They specialize in gypsy-jazz, which has a European sound and feel. They have been a staple of the Victoria jazz scene for over a decade. Their shows offer a fresh take on familiar jazz standards. Swing dancing encouraged!
3:00 - 3:45 pm: Commodores Big Band
The band’s repertoire consists of over 1000 arrangements that include swing, Latin, rock, disco and more. Their band leader, Mark Fraser, directs their standard big band configuration of 5 saxophones, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, rhythm section and lead vocalist Kim Greenwood. The Commodores Big Band members embrace a spirit of enthusiasm, drive and professionalism that has determined the band’s success, longevity and popularity with fans of all ages.
Kids Zone
11:15 am - 12:00 pm: Jordan Blaikie Magician 
Jordano The Great has been entertaining crowds with his mind-blowing magic since 2003. He combines mind reading, stunning sleight of hand, audience participation, small illusions, hilarious comedy and amazing magic for all to enjoy!
12:30 - 1:15 pm: Lelolai FAM
Lelolai FAM (Family Arts Music) is a family focused, music-centric project, honoring creativity and inclusivity of people of all ages and cultures. Connecting communities and spreading uplifting messages of hope and joy through music!
1:45 - 2:30 pm: Madame B
For the past two years Madame B has sailed the seas of Vancouver Island festivals with a band of scurvy pirates, entertaining kids from age 0 to 90 with her catchy tunes. This year the Madame B Musique crew is back with a brand new mystery spectacular that will have you dancing and singing along in French and English.
Madame B Musique is a kids’ band that’s not just for kids. It was created by Kimara Brilling in 2023 when the songs she’d been writing for her French immersion classes demanded to be heard outside the classroom. She gathered the most talented musicians she knew, got her class to be backup singers, and recorded an album. This evolved into a full musical theatre production with a 5 piece band, costumes, puppets, giant heads, charming characters and danceable songs that will get stuck in your head.
3:00 - 3:45 pm: Chinese Dance Victoria 
Chinese Dance Victoria is a Victoria-based community ensemble celebrating Chinese dance through performance, education, and community engagement. Rooted in diverse regional and folkloric traditions, it presents performances blending elegance, storytelling, athleticism, and vibrant visual artistry. Bringing together dancers across generations, the group performs at festivals, community celebrations, senior outreach events, and civic occasions across Greater Victoria. Its repertoire spans classical, folk-inspired, and festive works, offering joyful experiences that foster cultural understanding and connection. The ensemble helps preserve and share Chinese cultural heritage while building community bridges through dance, music, and celebration.
Vendors
We have more vendors than ever before at this year's Strawberry Festival! There's a great mixture of market vendors with items for purchase, information and activity booths, food trucks and sweet treats. Check out the vendor line ups below.
Please note there will be no ATM on site.
Mainstage Vendors
Food
DIG
Artisan Empanadas by Scorpion Chef
Macondo Colombian Cuisine
Ethiopian Wish Catering
El Maizal The Corn Crop
KidsFUND - Saanich Community Services
AXOLOTL Mexican Flavors
Salt Spring Island Fruitsicles
Chez Monique Bar à croissants
Kisses to Go Artisan Tea Co
Island Jerky Victoria
Seagull Sweets Co.
Flourish BeauTea
General
Info Tent
Saanich Fire
Saanich Emergency Program
Saanich Police Department
Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers
Friends of Rails to Trails - Vancouver Island (FORT-VI)
Lifeboat Letterpress and Skog Creations
Virgin Radio
Saanich Engineering - Transportation Group
Saanich Archives
Capital Regional District
Plant Based Cities Movement
CappuccionoCrochet
Evercoast Handmade
Saanich Parks
Saanich Sustainability
Community Services Ambassadors
CRFAIR
Island Tallow Co.
South Island FarmHub
BC SPCA Wild ARC
Kids Zone Vendors
Food:
Country Crepes
Pele's Kitchen
Softies Ice Cream
Frosana Treats
Alfajores by Griselda
CandyTime
Langos by Louie
General:
Bubblio
Thread & Pepper
Angsty Axel
Rossem Studio
Aviv's Happy Crafts
Pacific Institute for Sport Education
Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People
Beaded Wonders
JLB Creations
Chronically Creative
Cordova Bay Preschool
Accessibility
Getting here: Please see the notes in the venue / how to get here section for information on parking, shuttles, buses, and bikes.
Surface conditions and grade: Saanich Strawberry Festival is at Beaver Lake Regional Park. There are gravel paths throughout the park and the rest of the surface is grass. There is a gravel walking path leading from the mainstage area to the kids zone. This path is approximately 400m between sites.
Washrooms: Both the mainstage and the kids zone sites will have accessible toilets (a mixture of flush and portable toilets).
Noise: This event will have live, amplified music throughout the day at both sites. In between sets, there will be announcements from stage and recorded music.
Food and beverage: Food offerings will include vegan and vegetarian foods, with gluten free options available as well. As all food will be provided by local food vendors, Saanich cannot verify or clarify specific allergen or dietary questions. Please confirm with the food vendors directly to verify.
Weather: This event is fully outdoors and will run rain or shine.
Contact
Questions? Please email events@saanich.ca or call Sarah at 250.475.5558.
We can't wait to see you there!
We can’t wait to see you in the summer! 🍓
