PAUL NURSEY
VICTORIA – A couple of weeks ago, anyone walking along the picturesque Ross Bay waterfront would have noticed hundreds of classic cars lined up along Dallas Road, bumper to bumper. For Destination Greater Victoria (DGV), it was a beautiful sight, and a visual reminder of the important role festivals and events play in our region’s visitor economy.
Getting ready for their Poker Run drive through Greater Victoria that day were hundreds of drivers taking part in Northwest Deuce Days, an iconic event that takes place in our region every three years. Just as those drivers lined up to show off their colourful vehicles on Dallas Road, they and the thousands of visitors in town for Deuce Days also lined up to fill hotel rooms, restaurants and stores before, during and after the festival.
Northwest Deuce Days is the largest gathering of deuces worldwide, with participants coming from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and Finland. A preliminary estimate indicates the 2025 edition of Deuce Days helped support 650 local jobs, energizing the hospitality, retail and services sector and generating approximately $2.9 million in economic impact.
Recognizing their ability to generate a wide range of benefits for the region, Deuce Days is just one of the many festivals and events supported by DGV and our member businesses. Other key summertime events include the TD Victoria International JazzFest, the Victoria Pride Society’s Pride Parade, Rifflandia, and Symphony SPLASH!, which returned this year for the first time since the pandemic.
Like the many meetings and conferences attracted to the region by our talented business events team, these large festivals and events deliver hundreds to thousands of visitors to Greater Victoria, all eager to experience our kind hospitality, stunning geography and wide range of attractions and activities. They animate our streets, bring vibrancy to our downtown and contribute immensely to the quality of life in Greater Victoria. Besides our region’s scenic beauty, what keeps these festivals and their attendees coming back is the warm welcome they receive from residents.
DGV extends its thanks to our members and the hundreds of Greater Victoria businesses and volunteers that help make Deuce Days and other festivals possible. By investing in these signature events together, we’re investing in our region and supporting the many services which depend on our vibrant tourism sector.
Paul Nursey is the President and CEO of Destination Greater Victoria
