160 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

One of the musicians performing at the Oak Bay Tea Party this weekend calls the event a chance for people to “relax and let their hair down for a while in a world that is all too tumultuous these days.”

“It’s just a celebration of community — it’s so lovely to be down near Willows Beach,” said Rob Fillo, who calls himself a folk artist with a country flair.

Residents and visitors alike will descend on Willows Park in Oak Bay from Friday to Sunday for the 63rd annual Tea Party.

Aside from daily entertainment, the event includes a Saturday parade, weekend pancake breakfasts, a Victoria Symphony “Instrument Petting Zoo,” skydiving and rescue demonstrations and of course, the Mayor’s Floating Teacup Race on Sunday.

Sandy Germain, chair of the Oak Bay Tea Party Society, said the floating teacup race — which involves competitors in oversized, easily sinkable teacups and saucers racing for a trophy — is “always a hoot,” adding that it’s harder than it looks.

“I thought, how difficult can this be? Oh my, it is, and if you have no rowing skills and you have no upper body strength, you’re toast,” said Germain, who has been involved in hosting the Oak Bay Tea Party for 28 years.

 

https://www.timescol...-party-10762787

[Matt R.]

This is the same outfit that had a person fall from this same ride in June in Port Hardy, also the same folks who run the rides at the tea party.

“‘Like a bad movie': Carnival worker dies after being hit by ride in Prince Rupert, B.C., witnesses say”

https://www.cbc.ca/n...-dead-1.7619066

[Barrister]

I wish the Tea Party would make better accommodation for handicapped drivers.

[Matt R.]

Port Hardy Zipper incident.

https://www.ctvnews....ones-regulator/

“9-year-old was working B.C. carnival ride when drunk patron fell out, breaking bones: regulator”

[Matt R.]

Will there be a parade this year? Scuttlebutt on the street says low entries mean no parade.

[aastra]

Scuttlebutt on the Street was a great album.

[aastra]

You
Telling me the things you're gonna do for me
I ain't blind and I don't like what I think I see

Scuttlebutt on the streets

Scuttlebutt on the streets

[lanforod]

One of my favourite new songs from Disney: https://www.youtube....rmfMnXT8GA&t=8s

[Matt R.]

Scuttlebutt would be worse for the bathtub race.

[Matt R.]

Chek reporting the same.

That is super lame. I’m glad we were able to have fun things in our lives when we were small and when my own kids were small.

[aastra]

 

Scuttlebutt would be worse for the bathtub race.

 

Pretty sure all bathtub racers need to pass a medical evaluation prior to competition. Scuttlebutt is easy to detect and treat.

[max.bravo]

TC article cites new safety regulations as the reason for cancelation. Wonder what’s really going on.

[aastra]

 

I’m glad we were able to have fun things in our lives when we were small and when my own kids were small.

 

Sad but true, pleasantly enjoyable things are just far too dangerous now in our challenging modern world. Too many risks, too much logistical overhead. But on the plus side, crazy dangerous stuff of all kinds is still permissible and/or heavily encouraged. So at least we have that.

 

I'm just thankful there's never ever been any kind of incident or accident re: amusement park rides. Can you imagine? We'd have to shut down every midway fair everywhere. Every theme park, etc.

[Matt R.]

My source said huge lack of entries. 14 so far.

Fourth hand info haha.

[Victoria Watcher]

TC article cites new safety regulations as the reason for cancelation. 

 

Where can we see these regulations published?

[aastra]

^They would need to be written down first before they can be published.

[Mike K.]

Amazing how just on the eve of all these parades we learn they’re being cancelled or drastically changed.

Next up, the truck parade, that’ll get cancelled as Langfordites start lighting their propane fire pits on Goldstream.

[Matt R.]

Someone better call Santa.

[Victoria Watcher]

The popular Oak Bay Tea Party parade will not be a part of the longstanding community event when it gets underway next month.

 

“After much consideration, [we have] made the hard decision to cancel,” Sandy Germain, chair of the non-profit Oak Bay Tea Party Society, which has produced the event since 1990, said in a statement.

 

Organizers cited rising operational costs, a shortage of volunteers, and new safety guidelines rolled out after 11 people were killed by a driver at the Lapu Lapu Day block party in Vancouver last year for their decision to cancel this year’s parade.

 

Germain said the society’s board felt they could not “move forward safely and responsibly” under the circumstances.

 

 

https://www.timescol...s-year-12240597

[Victoria Watcher]

It’s all fun and games at the Oak Bay Tea Party

 

The hugely popular Oak Bay Tea Party will be without one of its signature events this week, but other aspects of the Tea Party — including the midway and live entertainment — will continue as scheduled at Willows Park over the weekend.

The parade originally set for Saturday morning was scuttled last month, for a variety of operational reasons. But the 64th annual event will draw big crowds through its three-day run, which gets underway Friday at 4 p.m. Rides, games and amusements and an action-packed live music component are complemented by other longstanding activities, including pancake breakfast seatings on Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m., a skydiving event (Sunday, 2 p.m.) and the floating teacup race Sunday at 3 p.m.

 

For more information, visit oakbayteaparty.com.

 

https://www.timescol...-party-12370730

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 04 June 2026 - 04:39 AM.