Cancel on the awkward work Christmas party, you’ve got smutty storytelling, a drag holiday showdown and a couple of delicious-sounding dinners you won’t want to miss.
Cover illustration by Caitlin McDonagh.
Victoria
Dec. 11 | Smut Slam: Guilty Pleasures Addition This is a wildly popular high-energy storytelling open mic based on real life experiences. Guests share personal, five-minute stories on guilty pleasures, desires, taboos, vices and weekend hobbies in an uber supportive and non-judgemental environment. A panel of celeb judges will also share their sex stories and answer anonymous questions. This is your chance to share and shine! No costumes, no props, tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
Dec. 14 | Old Silk Hats: Improvised Christmas Classics Giving A Christmas Carol a run for its money, Paper Street Theatre’s cast of merry improvisers will be creating new characters in never-before-seen holiday classics. There will be laughter, surprising narratives and old-timey silk hats to be sure—tickets are $15 and the show starts at 8 p.m.
Dec. 14 | Aerobics and Mimosas This is exercise disguised as fun with pumpin’ ’80s jams, spandex costumes and the best morning cocktail your $5 ticket can buy—yes, we are talking about Aerobics and Mimosas, which runs every second Saturday of the month at the Victoria Event Centre, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.. Retro ’80s videos play on the big screen while you get your dance on—perfect for working off holiday treats. Silly costumes are strongly encouraged.
Dec. 15 | The Showdown: A Holiday Drag You could go to another Christmas craft fair, or you could take your crew to a “glitter-fuelled” holiday drag showdown with 10 of the city’s top drag queens and kings. Look out for Chaz Avery, Divine Intervention, Dublin Tendre, Junk Male, Ukee Lulu and more, battling it out at the Victoria Events Centre. Doors at 7:30 p.m., the show is at 8 p.m. and tickets start at $20.
Dec. 16 | Bar Venner Dinner with Liam Quinn of Salt and Pepper Fox, which translates to “just friends” in Danish, is a monthly pop-up dinner party for foodies and industry locals to get together and try a special menu from a rotating lineup of cool Island chefs. This latest December iteration features Salt and Pepper Fox’s chef (and sandwich king) Liam Quinn at Wind Cries Mary, and even though there are three seatings, it’s currently waitlisted. If you can snag a ticket, it’s only $50 for a five-course meal. Ifnot follow Bar Venner on Insta to get a headstart on their next event.
Cowichan
Dec. 11 | The Tackiest of All Tacky Christmas Sweater Parties Party Dust off your frightening Ugly Christmas Sweater and head to Blue Grouse Estate Winery for the tackiest party of the year. Evening highlights include a Christmas fashion show (with categories like hilarious holiday onesies), silent auction, charcuterie spreads from Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese, Blue Grouse wines and other beverages. There’ll be prizes for the most supreme tacky Christmas sweater, of course. Tickets are $29.
Nanaimo
Dec. 13 | Make a Bowl Night Running out of things to do for date night?Nanaimo Ceramic Arts is offering you a chance to get your Ghost on with their Make a Bowl Night. No experience with pottery necessary, they’ll glaze and fire your creation and a few weeks later you’ll be the proud owner of a new something. Tickets are $48 each, and the class runs from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Tofino and Ucluelet
Dec. 15 | Wolf in the Fog Community Dinner This is the last dinner in Wolf in the Fog’s latest family-style dinner series celebrating cuisines from around the world. This series of multi-course, multicultural meals culminate with a final stop of India India on Dec. 15. Tickets run for $45 and dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. To book, call ahead or visit their website. or visit their website.
TBD| Ucluelet Brewing Company Opening OK, this isn’t an event per se, but Ucluelet is about to get its first craft brewery and you’re going to want to be there when it opens, which should be any day now. The construction is being documented on their Instagram, so keep an eye on it to know when to check in for an inaugural welcome pint.
Know of an event or cool gathering that we missed? Email us at breakwater@gmail.com, or keep us in the loop on Instagram and Facebook.
