If you are looking for a kickin’ mountain bike road down spectacular single track trails on Mt. Geoffrey, a massage to soothe those aching muscles and then a night of sweet jazz at the pub, Hornby Island has it. The island hops in the summer with live music, art shows, the Hornby Festival, twice weekly Farmers Markets, tasty food options and plenty of opportunities to kayak, bike, hike or hang out at the beach. The Recreation and Healing Arts pages will connect you to the experiences that will get you outside and then back inside to be pampered.
Throughout the rest of year, life moves more slowly, but it certainly doesn’t stop. This is the time when we make our own fun and it is often outrageous and always entertaining. Drop by the ringside market for an espresso and a peak at the bulletin boards for news of upcoming dances and cultural Events and then take the short walk to Tribune Bay Provincial Park for some beachcombing. Year round, local workshop providers teach in the disciplines of expressionistic painting, photography and dance, among others. Visit Deerheart Sanctuary, a haven in the woods, for daily mediation or a massage. Or head to Ford Cove for a stroll along stunning sandstone beaches and to check out Hornby Island Diving for the chance for a face-to-face with a six gill shark.
For up-to-date information on open hours for food and retail services it is best to check out our Shops & Services page as they vary from season to season.
In the spring, the Hornby Island Blues Society hosts their annual Blues Festival, which attracts world class musicians for workshops and performances. The sea, sky and forest are bursting with colour and life as the days lengthen and we begin the journey to summer. This is the time you will find Helliwell Provincial Park and Heron Rock Co-operative Campground awash with spring blooms.
Fall is highlighted by three favorite events for both locals and visitors - our annual Fall Faire, held mid-September at Olsen’s Farm, the Hornby Halloween Dance and the launch of the Hornby Festival Fall / Spring Series of concerts. These events celebrate our bounty and appreciation of each other. The delightful poem below about the Halloween dance by Suzie Bishop (of Seabreeze Lodge and Carbrea Vineyard) captures the magic of the evening.
plethora of strangers.
Wigs, masks, paint and pins,
lipstick, eyelashes and hosiery.
Cross dressers, zombies and wild animals.
The usual suspects,
and the unknown.
I am a lonely pirate, dancing,
taking hugs from nurses, Mexicans and long lashed beauties.
I move aside for whirling dervish dancers,
a wildcat with her tamer,
clowns and jesters.
A bird appears and flaps among us.
We must look up to her,
this beautiful avian spectacle floating above the crowd,
seemingly effortless in her elegance and grace.
I’m so inspired by her fortitude.
Our deeply entangled community
pursuing anonymity in costume,
yet it only makes us to look at one another a little deeper.
An intimacy is shared as eye contact is made.
Recognition and appreciation are silent communications,
as words are lost in the din.
The smiling, happy faces are powerful and enlightening.
Hornby for Halloween.
There is no place I’d rather be.
