If you’re an avid beach-goer, get ready to add another beautiful destination to your summer bucket list. The small beachside city of Parksville, BC on Vancouver Island is a hotspot for outdoor enthusiasts and road-trippers, with refreshing swimming holes, suspension bridges, hidden petroglyphs (rock carvings), and scenic shoreline to explore.

This includes a popular beach festival that’s currently in full swing, aptly called the Parksville Beach Festival. With five and a half weeks of family-friendly fun every summer, the annual event draws tons of locals and visitors alike.

The festival’s main draw is its Sand Sculpting Competition and Exhibition, which kicked off last weekend and has since awarded the top accolades for this year’s unique sand creations.

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Photo via Shutterstock

From now until the third week of August, festival-goers can experience this year’s amazing sand sculptures for themselves anytime between 9:30 am and 8:30 pm daily, with admission by donation.

Until July 21st, visitors can take advantage of the following free outdoor concerts and events:

  • Party City Buskers at the Boardwalk Gazebo daily from 11 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 4 pm
  • Jason Lane Band from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Parksville Outdoor Theatre on Friday, July 19th
  • Art in the Park artisan fair from 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday, July 20th
  • Curds and Whey from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Parksville Outdoor Theatre
  • Art in the Park from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday, July 21st

And for the night owls out there, the Sand Sculpture Exhibition will transform into an illuminated experience for two nights only next month – on August 16th and 17th.

Here, visitors can take in the sculptures lit by dazzling lights until 11 pm on both evenings.

As for the City of Parksville itself, it’s also adjacent to Qualicum Beach, which is known for its stunning beaches and Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park. So it wouldn’t take much to make a weekend trip out of your visit!

Happy exploring, BC!

Parksville, BC

Where: Vancouver Island, BC

Isabelle Vauclair

Staff Writer, Vancouver – Isabelle is a West Coast native with an appreciation for Vancouver’s natural landscape, patio scene, and community spaces. She loves to discover new hidden gems in her neighbourhood and share them with readers across the city.

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