Saturday, July 8, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm, rain or shine

Join this once-a-year opportunity to visit stunning gardens and beautiful art studios, meet the creators of these special places, and celebrate local talent. This long-long running (25 years!) fundraiser for the Cortes Museum & Archives is back after a three-year COVID hiatus.

The tour features seventeen creative spaces around Cortes, including fourteen thriving gardens in a range of habitats from mossy bluffs to low-bank landscapes. Gather great ideas from gardens designed for pollinators, food production, and the simple enjoyment of living with interesting plants and flowers! Some gardens demonstrate techniques for reclaiming overgrown or challenging spaces, gardening in drought conditions, and fire-smart measures to help protect property. Chat with nine artists working in a range of media (textiles, painting, drum making, sculpture, ceramics) and see the spaces where they create or show their work! Additional artists will also be featured in the Museum’s Heritage Garden throughout the day.

This self-directed tour is a wonderful chance to discover hidden treasures of Cortes at your own pace. So purchase a ticket, follow the map, buy a piece of local art or a bouquet of flowers as you explore and spend the day on this island adventure!

The tickets (with map, $15/person) are on sale at the Museum and in local Cortes stores. Tickets will also be available on the day of the tour for those arriving to the island on the first ferry (in a visible spot at the corner of Seavista Road in Whaletown). Children under twelve are free.

Get your tickets at:

• Museum
• Cortes Market
• Marnie's Books
• Cortes Natural Food Co-op
• Hollyhock
• Gorge Harbour Marina Store
• Squirrel Cove General Store
• on the day of the tour when coming from the first ferry – on the corner of Seavista Road in Whaletown

More details about this year's gardens and artists will follow soon and the information is available on our Creative Spaces page.