From dining out to taking time to smell the flowers, there are many ways to celebrate Mother’s Day in District 69.
If your mom loves a beautiful garden, the MARS Garden Tour is a perfect way to spend the day admiring some of the pretty plots in Parksville and Qualicum Beach.
The tour runs from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at local garden centres.
Milner Gardens and Woodland is another garden lovers oasis with hundreds of rhododendrons now in full bloom. The rhodos are one of the garden’s most significant collections and this is one of the best times to see them while they put on their best display.
The waterfront garden estate at 2179 W. Island and Highway in Qualicum Beach is open 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. The tea room is open 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.
Qualicum Bay has a full morning of Mother’s Day activities.
There is a pancake breakfast, music, flea market and poultry swap at the Lighthouse Community Center in the heart of Qualicum Bay.
The pancake breakfast goes 8 a.m. until noon, the poultry swap runs 10 a.m. until noon and there is live music starting at 8 a.m.
The Island Gospel Singers perform until till 9:15 a.m.
Peter Mason and friends hit the stage at 10:15 and Back Porch Banjo play blue grass at 11 a.m. until noon.
If you want to sit down and enjoy a full-on brunch with mom there are plenty of options including the Mother’s Day special occasion prime rib brunch at Tigh-Na-Mara’s Cedar Room May 13 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Call 250-248-2333 for reservations.
There is a special Mothers Day brunch buffet 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 13 at the Old Dutch Inn in Qualicum Beach. Phone 250-752-6914 for reservations.
Morningstar Farm in French Creek has plenty of babies to cuddle at their petting farm.
Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at 403 Lowry’s Road the farm is a great place to take the family.
Home to Little Qualicum Cheeseworks and MooBerry Winery there’s a ton to do on the farm from watching how they make cheese to sipping some berry wine.
If you like train spotting the Alberni Pacific Steam Railway in Port Alberni has a great Mother’s Day adventure and you still have time to make a reservation on the Wine Steam Train.
The 1929 ex-logging locomotive leaves downtown Port Alberni at 3:30 and winds its way to the McLean Mill National Historic site making a stop at the Chase & Warren Estate Winery.
Wine maker and owner Vaughn Chase said their winery is one of the only one’s in North America that is serviced by a steam train and the platform is just 100 feet from their vineyard.
For $35 per adult you can enjoy a ride on the train and a stop at the winery for hors d’oeuvres and eight to 10 wine tastings. You can take the same trip on June 5 and June 16, Father’s Day.
For a reservation call 250-723-9463.