Victoria Day Day Trip Ideas: Where To Go During The May Long Weekend

The Piknic is a rave-like event that takes place in Ste-Hélène island every Sunday. We got lucky, the day was simply gorgeous.

Whether you call it Victoria Day, May Long Weekend or May Two-Four, May 17 to May 19 means time off for Canadians.

And any time off in our books is a perfect excuse to travel.

While Victoria Day harkens back to Queen Victoria's birthday, its meaning has shifted to something along the lines of "the unofficial start to summer", prompting Canadians to head to the cottage for the first time. Also popular is the "staycation" approach which usually involves watching fireworks and cracking open a case of 24 beers (hence May Two-Four).

But for the non-drinking, cottage-less types out there, the May Long Weekend typically means 72 hours to cram as much travelling as possible before you're needed back at work on Tuesday. Typically, this means Canadians will spend their time either in New York if they're travelling internationally or make trips to Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, according to Hotwire, a travel booking site.

So if you're planning on staying in the country but are unsure what to during those three days, here's a few suggestions:

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ont.

Getty

Queen Victoria will probably be the last thing on your mind if you find yourself in Bowmanville, Ont. during the long weekend. The park will play host to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, featuring muscle cars from SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series. Also in attendance will be the Canadian Touring Car Championship, Canadian Supercar Series and the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin and the Formula 1600 Super Series for guests to watch zoom around the tracks.

Relax At Deep Cove, Vancouver

Flickr

Need to get away from the city, congestion and people? Head to Deep Cove in North Vancouver for some peace, quiet and kayaking. Inside Vancouver describes the area as a prime spot for hanging out by the waterfront and hiking into the mountains that are just 45-minutes outside of the city.

Island Farms Victoria Day Parade, Victoria

Island Farms Facebook

What better place to celebrate the Queen Victoria than in Victoria, B.C.? May 19 will mark the city's 116th run of the Island Farms Victoria Day Parade, the city's biggest parade. Expect marching bands, floats, clowns and more over a span of three hours. Admission is free and promises to be fun for the whole family.

Jubilee Queen Cruises, Toronto

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Keep things classy with a day-time cruise and lunch buffet on board the Jubilee Queen cruise ship. While the night-time version of this attraction boasts a spectacular fireworks show on Toronto's waterfront, the day version features a much clearer view of Toronto Islands and the raw scenery of Toronto Island Parklands. Boarding starts at 11:30 a.m. with a noon departure and a 2:30 p.m. dock time.

Piknic Electronik, Montreal

Flickr

Technically Quebec doesn't celebrate Victoria Day like the rest of Canada. Instead, they get the day off for National Patriots Day. But whether you're celebrating the Queen or honouring the rebellion against the British, you can spend your long weekend at Piknic Electronik, an electronic music festival that kicks off on May 18 and runs all the way till September 21. Performers during the first day will include Slow Hand on the main stage, the province's own Veronika & Oliver as well as France's Sonic Crew.

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