Coming UP…
Scroll down to see all the great musical events coming!
OCTOBER FIDDLE JAM
Date: Friday, October 2nd, 2026
*NEW LOCATION:* Braefoot Park Centre, 1359 McKenzie Ave
See post for details.
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm; Doors open at 6:45
We will have a short break, any concession snacks are welcome
Cost: Members no charge; Drop In $5 (your membership is due now!)
Check post in calendar for set list and other info.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VFS Annual General Meeting – via Zoom
VFS Members are invited to attend our annual AGM.
Monday, October 26 from 6-8pm via Zoom
email VFSinfo@gmail.com for Zoom link and/or information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Come join these weekly classes – with Daniel Lapp at the Victoria Conservatory of Music
Register Now! for
- Old-Time Danceband (ages 6 – 10)
- Fiddleharmonic Orchestra (ages 10 – 13)
- BC Fiddle Orchestra (ages 12 – 19)
- Folkestra (adults, all instruments, all levels)
Registration at: https://vcm.bc.ca/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fiddle & Thistle Barn Dance!
Bring Yer Dancing Shoes!
October 24th
7:00 pm, Doors 6:30 pm
St. Matthias Anglican Church Hall, 600 Richmond
Tickets: $25
Featuring:
Q Brooke Bachand (they) Fiddle, Songs
Charlie Gannon (he) Piano, Guitar
Ben Garrison (he) Mandolin
Cohan Lyne (they) Teaching & Calling the Dances, Fiddle
Tickets & Info: qthey.ca or 250-812-7978
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adult Fiddle Classes with Miriam Sonstenes
Monday nights, Sept 14 – Nov 23 (10 classes, no class Oct 12)
Level: Intermediate
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Location: St. Barnabas Church, 1525 Begbie St
Registration: please email miriamsonstenes@gmail.com
Tuition: $350 Please pay via e-transfer to miriamsonstenes@gmail.com before the first class, (cheque or cash at the first class works too)
Details:
Dear fiddlers! I am offering another set of Monday night classes. This class is for intermediate level adult players looking to work on their skills in a fun and relaxed setting. We will explore tunes from a variety of styles (old time, celtic, bluegrass, swing, blues), with a strong focus on technique. Tunes will be taught by ear with sheet music provided at the end of class. Full class summary e-mails and recordings will be sent out weekly. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to e-mail me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Group Fiddle Ensemble Lessons – Olivia Barrett
Join me for adult intermediate-ish group fiddle ensemble lessons to learn lively Irish, Scottish, and Canadian (maybe even Breton and Scandinavian!) traditional tunes, tune sets, and arrangements in a fun and non-competitive atmosphere! Tunes will be taught primarily by ear (written music also supplied), and I’ll share tips for improving your tone and technique as well. The group usually learns a new tune section (e.g. an A section or a B section) per class.
Lessons will be on Tuesday evenings, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM beginning Tuesday September 8, 2026 and running for 8 sessions. $320. Location will be near Uptown (address provided upon registration). Send an email to Olivia at oliviabarrettfiddle [at] gmail.com for additional information. www.oliviabarrettmusic.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weekly Kitchen Party Jam
I’m gathering interested musicians for a weekly Kitchen Party Jam at Cordova Bay 55+ Centre. The jam will likely be on Saturday during the day, but the first step is to get names of interested people. Membership in Cordova Bay 55+ will be required…$40/year…but I don’t anticipate any other charges.
Interested? Email me at: Kathy@kavee.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Victoria Contra Dances!
Join us for a great evening of music and dancing, no experience needed!
Most dances start with a short beginner lesson.
Next Dance is on Saturday, October 3rd!
Calling by Maureen Collier, Music by Willowgrove.
286 Hampton Rd, Victoria.
Cost $20
https://victoriacontradance.com
Autumn Allemande – Contra Dance Weekend
Coming this Fall! November 20 – 22, 2026
Edelweiss Centre/James Bay Community School, Victoria
Vancouver Island’s One & Only Contra Dance Weekend – Music, song and dance workshops for all levels! Mark your calendar….
See Poster for more information. www.contradance.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
West Coast Barn Dances!
at the Victoria Edelweiss Club, 108 Niagara St, James Bay
Doors: 6:00 pm Dancing starts: 6:30 pm
- October 16
- November 20
- December 18
Cost: Suggested donation $10 pp (VEC members) and $12 pp (non-members)
West Coast Barn Dances are a group of young musicians deeply rooted in Canada’s fiddle music tradition. These monthly dances, similar to contradances, are in the tradition of old-time barn dances. With live fiddle music and tasty homemade snacks, they aim to celebrate and share the joy of fiddle music, dancing, and community.
All ages welcome, no experience necessary, all steps will be taught!
You can follow our Instagram @westcoastbarndances or email us at westcoastbarndances@gmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beacon Ridge Productions
Our Fall Concert Series is one of our most diverse yet, bringing together exceptional artists from around the world for an unforgettable season of live music in Oak Bay.
Venue: Christian Science Church, 1205 Pandora Avenue
Saturday, October 10th, 2026
Cassie and Maggie
Award Winning, Juno-Nominated sisters combine dazzling fiddle, soaring harmonies, step-dancing and irresistible East Coast charm.
Saturday, November 7th, 2026
Chet Baker Tribute by The Daniel Lapp Quartet
Experience the unforgettable music of jazz icon Chet Baker as the Daniel Lapp Quartet brings his iconic songs to life with elegance and artistry.
Saturday, November 14th, 2026
Cecilia
Featuring Louis Schryer, Erin Leahy and Timi Turmel, Cecilia blends virtuosic musicianship with infectious energy in a fresh celebration of Canadian & Quebecois folk traditions.
Venue: Upstairs Lounge – Oak Bay Rec Centre, 1975 Bee Street
Friday, October 2nd , 2026
The Sutcliffes Dance Party!
A Beatles Band with a slightly different take. Their focus is on the Beatles from Hamburg, to the Cavern, and the BBC Studios – the songs they wrote, the songs they covered and the songs they loved.
Friday, October 9th, 2026
Fiona Bevan & Adam Beattie
Multi-Platinum Canadian-British songwriter Fiona Bevan and acclaimed Scottish singer-songwriter Adam Beattie blend cinematic folk, rich harmonies & masterful songwriting into an intimate soulful acoustic performances.
Saturday. October 24th, 2026
Lloyd Spiegel
Australian blues guitar master Lloyd Spiegel is celebrated worldwide for his extraordinary musicianship, soulful voice and captivating live performances.
Saturday, October 31st, 2026
Groove Kitchen – Hallowe’en Dance Party!
This hard-driving party-hardy quintet is shaking up the clubs with its red-hot mix of funk, Latin, reggae and soul for dancing! Groove Kitchen is admired for its tight, rhythmically in-the-pocket sound.
Saturday, November 21st, 2026
The Lonesome Ace Stringband featuring Showman & Coole
With roots in old-time, bluegrass and folk traditionals, the Lonesome Ace Stringband’s Showman & Coole offer an energetic and deeply authentic musical experience.
Friday, November 27th, 2026
The Soul Shakers Dance Party
Featuring powerhouse vocalist Joyce “The Voice” Allensen, The Soul Shakers deliver an electrifying mix of soul, R&B, Motown and classic dance hits.
Saturday, November 28th, 2026
Don Ross & Julie Malia
Acoustic guitar legend Don Ross joins acclaimed singer-songwriter Julie Malia for an unforgettable evening of dazzling musicianship, heartfelt songs and extraordinary musical chemistry.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nanaimo Fiddle Society
If you’re up Nanaimo way, check out the Family Barn Dances.
Family Barn Dance Dates for the 2026-27 Season:
Fri Oct 9 – Cedar Community Hall – 6:30 to 9 pm
Fri Nov 20 – Royal Canadian Legion Hall Mt. Benson 256 Branch – 7 to 9 pm
Fri Feb 5 – Cedar Community Hall – 6:30 to 9 pm
Fri Apr 16 – Bowen Park Auditorium – 6:30 to 9 pm
More Info – www.nanaimofiddlesociety.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The.Victoria.House 2026 Fall Season
Concerts are all ages with the focus is on a respectful listening environment for the performances. Concerts take place at a private residence in the Rockland/Gonzales neighbourhood of Victoria. Address and further show details will be emailed to ticket holders the week before the concert date.
October House Concert
Vancouver based singer songwriter Daniel Lew on his ‘Silence I am tour’
Sunday October 25th indoors at 6:30 pm.
Early Bird tickets are just $20 – House concert tickets are available exclusively via gigpit.ca
If you have further questions regarding tickets or concert details please contact Victoria at the.victoria.houseconcerts@gmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Open Mic or Jams, Live Music Events, etc.
A great resource for Open Mics or Open Jams (one link for each day of the week!!), Live Music Events and more!
https://www.victoriafolkmusic.ca/Sundays-Open-LMEs-Vancouver-Island.html
https://victoriafolkmusic.ca/LiveMusicEvents_Mostly_May-2026.html
https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaFolkMusic
If you’re hosting Live Music Events or performing on Vancouver Island or the adjacent islands, I will happily add your event(s) to our monthly listing! Ron G.
Also, this is a growing list — https://victoriafolkmusic.ca/LiveMusicVenues.html
Islandfolk mailing list
Islandfolk@victoriafolkmusic.ca
http://victoriafolkmusic.ca/mailman/listinfo/islandfolk_victoriafolkmusic.ca
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The VFS Board would like to remind everyone to please take care when setting your instruments down. Anyone attending a Jam is responsible for their instruments and we advise that you should have insurance.
VIctoria Fiddle Society and on Facebook Suggestions? Email us at: vfsinfo@gmail.com
