Summer may be drawing to a close, but Victoria received a revitalizing blast of colour, warmth, and music from the Caribbean ahead of the season’s end.
During the Labour Day long weekend, Victoria’s Ship Point hosted the second-ever i-Land Fest, from Aug. 29 to 31.
“What we're doing here is celebrating culture, food, vibrancy, diversity and unity from a Caribbean flavour,” said Oneil Randall, co-founder of the event.
Hitting Victoria’s streets for the first time last year, after previously being held at Centennial Square, i-Land Fest was conceived out of a need to represent the Island’s Caribbean community, said Randall.
“When I came here with my wife from Calgary, I said to her, ‘I don't think I'm going to survive long here,’” he said, cracking a smile. “I didn't see my food, I didn't see much of my people and I didn't see the festivity that keeps us in this culture.
“So I said to her that we had two options: ‘We're going to have to bring (our culture) here or we're going to go somewhere else.”
What started as an idea in 2021 materialized three years later, said Randall, who wanted to give Caribbean folks and second-generation immigrant kids who never had a chance to connect with their culture a place to come together and experience a sense of home.
With a centre stage boasting a wide range of DJ sets, live performances, and activities, flanked by markets, booths, and a kids’ zone, Randall said this event was also an opportunity to share Caribbean heritage with Greater Victoria residents.
Estimating that up to 20,000 attendees visited the three-day festivities, Randall calls this year’s second edition a “success” and extends an invitation to anyone who is interested in next year’s i-Land Fest.
For more information, visit ilandfest.com.
