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Events

  • National Legion Week Flag Will Be Flown At City Hall

    Sep 18, 2026

    National Legion week is held annually starting on the third Sunday of September (honouring the Battle of Britain Day) through to the following Saturday. The flag will be flown in the upper parking lot of City Hall from Friday pm on September 18 - 28, 2026

  • Lions FREE Skate 2026-2027

    Sep 27, 2026, 11:30 AM

    The City of Nanaimo Parks & Recreation, Lions Club of Nanaimo, Save On Foods and many other community sponsors are proud to present the Lions Free Skates. Held Sundays, September 20 to March 21, 12-1:30 pm (On September 27, October 25, November 15, March 14 held 11:30 am-1 pm due to Clippers Games).

  • Bastion Lighting Colour Orange on September 30, 2026 for National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

    Sep 30, 2026

    To honour Residential School survivors, their families, and the children who never returned home. To remember the nearly 150,000 Indigenous children forced into residential schools starting in 1920 and to promote reconciliation.

  • Bastion Lighting Colour Yellow and White on October 2, 2026 for International Wrongful Conviction Day

    Oct 2, 2026

    International Wrongful Conviction Day is an annual global observance held on October 2nd that shines a spotlight on the causes and severe consequences of convicting innocent people, while promoting necessary legal reforms to fix broken justice systems.

  • Bastion Lighting Colours Purple, Pink and Blue opn October 3, 2026 for Butterfly Run Vancouver Island

    Oct 3, 2026

    The 6th annual Butterfly Run Vancouver Island takes place on October 3 @ Westwood Lake. A memorial walk/run to help raise awareness about infertility, pregnancy loss, and infant loss.

  • Lions FREE Skate 2026-2027

    Oct 4, 2026, 12:00 PM

    The City of Nanaimo Parks & Recreation, Lions Club of Nanaimo, Save On Foods and many other community sponsors are proud to present the Lions Free Skates. Held Sundays, September 20 to March 21, 12-1:30 pm (On September 27, October 25, November 15, March 14 held 11:30 am-1 pm due to Clippers Games).

  • Bastion Lighting Colour Green on October 6, 2026 for World Cerebral Palsy Day

    Oct 6, 2026

    World Cerebral Palsy Day is a global movement for and by the 50 million people living with cerebral palsy, their families and supporters. Cerebral palsy is a group of permanent neurological disorders that affect movement, muscle tone, posture, and coordination. The term cerebral means relating to the brain, and palsy means weakness or problems with muscle control. It is the most common motor disability in childhood.

  • Nanaimo Votes 2026: Advance Voting Day 1

    Oct 7, 2026, 8:00 AM

    The first Advance Voting Day for the 2026 General Local Election is Wednesday, October 7 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Beban Park Social Centre, 2300 Bowen Road.

  • Bastion Lighting Colour Green on October 9, 2026 for Inflamed Brain Alliance PANS/PANDAS

    Oct 9, 2026

    October 9 is World PANS PANDAS Awareness Day. Led by the Inflamed Brain Alliance (IBA) and global partners, this day highlights PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcus). These conditions cause sudden-onset brain inflammation and psychiatric symptoms (such as OCD and anxiety) triggered by infections.

  • Bastion Lighting Colours Red, Brown, Yellow, and Orange on October 12, 2026 for Thanksgiving Day

    Oct 12, 2026

    Canadian Thanksgiving is a harvest festival on the second Monday in October, focused on giving thanks for blessings and the season's bountiful harvest, celebrated with family, friends, and a traditional turkey dinner.

  • Bastion Lighting Colour Teal from October 13 - 16, 2026 for DCD Awareness Week

    Oct 13, 2026

    Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia, is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting motor skill learning, planning, and coordination. DCD Awareness Week is a global initiative dedicated to increasing understanding of DCD and celebrating the strength, resilience, and achievements of those living with this often-misunderstood motor skills disorder.

  • Nanaimo Votes 2026: Advance Voting Day 2

    Oct 14, 2026, 8:00 AM

    The second Advance Voting Day for the 2026 General Local Election is Wednesday, October 14 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Beban Park Social Centre, 2300 Bowen Road.

  • Nanaimo Votes 2026: General Voting Day

    Oct 17, 2026, 8:00 AM

    Voting Day for the 2026 General Local Election is Saturday, October 17. Ten voting places are located across Nanaimo including one on Protection Island.

  • Lions FREE Skate 2026-2027

    Oct 25, 2026, 11:30 AM

    The City of Nanaimo Parks & Recreation, Lions Club of Nanaimo, Save On Foods and many other community sponsors are proud to present the Lions Free Skates. Held Sundays, September 20 to March 21, 12-1:30 pm (On September 27, October 25, November 15, March 14 held 11:30 am-1 pm due to Clippers Games).

  • Bastion Light Colour Blue on October 26, 2026 for World Occupational Therapy Day

    Oct 26, 2026

    The World Occupational Therapists is the voice of the occupational therapy profession which globally comprises of 117 national occupational therapy professional organizations. World Occupational Therapy Day is the opportunity to heighten the visibility of the profession’s development work and to promote the activities of WFOT locally, nationally, and internationally.

  • Bastion Lighting Colour Red on October 27, 2026 for Duty Counsel Day

    Oct 27, 2026

    Initiated by Canada's legal aid associations, this annual day raises awareness of the essential role duty counsel play in Canada's justice system, providing legal advice and representation to people who would otherwise face court alone.

  • Bastion Lighting Colour Purple on October 29, 2026 for Rett Syndrome Awareness

    Oct 29, 2026

    Rett syndrome is a rare genetic neurological disorder that primarily affects females. After a period of normal development for the first 6 to 18 months, affected individuals experience a severe regression of skills, including a loss of purposeful hand use, loss of speech, and the onset of repetitive hand movements

  • Bastion Lighting Colour Teal on October 30, 2026 for "Teal Light for Food Allergies"

    Oct 30, 2026

    A teal light on a porch during Halloween signals that a house offers allergy-friendly, non-food treats or safe, labeled options for children with food allergies. Teal is the official awareness colour for food allergies.

  • Bastion Lighting Colour Orange on October 31, 2026 for Halloween

    Oct 31, 2026

    A festive event with ancient Celtic roots (Samhain) marking the end of harvest and blurring lines between worlds, evolving with Christian observances (All Hallows' Eve) and modern traditions like trick-or-treating, costumes, pumpkin carving (jack-o'-lanterns), and spooky themes, making it a blend of pagan, religious, and secular fun worldwide.

  • Bastion Lighting Colour Red on November 1, 2026 for MADD Canada - Project Red Ribbon

    Nov 1, 2026

    Project Red Ribbon is a national campaign reminding Canadians to promote sober driving and to never drive impaired. The iconic red ribbon is a symbol of a person's commitment to never drive impaired and to help raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving.

Special Events

The City of Nanaimo hosts special events year round, so check back here often or join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter as we are always adding more!

Hosting a Special Event in a City of Nanaimo Park?

Do you have plans to host an event in one of Nanaimo's Parks?

If you are looking for community events happening in and around Nanaimo, visit www.tourismnanaimo.com and view the events page.

Clubs and Organizations in Nanaimo

The City of Nanaimo is home to several clubs and organizations. From arts, social, sports or community, check out this Clubs and Organization Listing and see how you can get involved! Email parksandrecreation@nanaimo.ca to add your non profit group to this list or to update your organization information.

Bastion Lighting Events

Do you have a cause or organization and would like to have a Bastion lighting event? Visit our Bastion Lighting Requests page to get details on how to qualify and request the Bastion be lit for you!

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