Salt Spring Island will buzz with boats, music, and markets again when the Tour des Îles festival returns for its 12th year on June 20 and 21, turning five Southern Gulf Islands into one big community for the weekend.
The two-day celebration of inter-island travel, local artists, and Gulf Islands culture runs from Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon, with ticketed access to chartered water taxis that hop between Salt Spring, Galiano, Mayne, Saturna, and Pender. New this year, Thetis Island joins the route, with boat service added from Salt Spring and Galiano.
Organized by the Salish Sea Inter-Island Transportation Society, the festival leans on discounted Aqualink water taxi fares and free shuttle buses on each island to make day trips easy. Attendees can explore local art shows, food vendors, live music, and outdoor markets that each island curates on its own.
“It’s about islanders meeting Islanders. It’s all about sharing,” said Paul Brent, one of the festival founders who helped launch the event in 2015 as a volunteer-driven response to fading ferry connections. That first year logged 1,400 passenger trips. The festival now carries more than 9,000 people over the weekend, according to the society.
This year’s edition lands on National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, so the schedule includes performances by Indigenous musicians and Coast Salish cultural activities in partnership with Indigenous Peoples Weekend events across the islands.
“This is a wonderful festival! I can think of no better way to celebrate the natural beauty of the Southern Gulf Islands,” said Elizabeth May, MP for Saanich—Gulf Islands, in an endorsement on the festival website. Full schedules and tickets are posted at tourdesiles.ca.
