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Critic's picks: Million Acts of Love, Art of the Cocktail, Island Symphony

Arts writer Mike Devlin picks his favourite upcoming events, including A Million Acts of Love at the Victoria Scottish Community Centre, Friday.
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Leeroy Stagger performs Friday at the benefit concert, A Million Acts of Love. HANDOUT

A MILLION ACTS OF LOVE

Where: Victoria Scottish Community Centre, 1803 Admirals Rd., View Royal
When: Friday, Oct. 18, 5:30 p.m.
Tickets: $49.26 from

Why: A Million Acts of Love pairs a heartfelt cause with heartwarming music Friday night in Victoria. Esquimalt’s Felix Townsin, 14, is behind the benefit concert, which is aimed at raising awareness regarding Blau syndrome, a rare inflammatory disorder that caused the death of his sister five years ago, just two months shy of her ­seventh birthday. Leeroy Stagger, Caleb Hart, Daniel Lapp, the BC Fiddle Orchestra, and 13 year-old Chase Varnes are on board for the festivities, the latest in a series of ongoing events by Townsin in his A Million Acts of Love campaign — a worthwhile cause that warrants city-wide support. For more information, e-mail [email protected].

ART OF THE COCKTAIL

Where: Crystal Garden, 713 Douglas St., Victoria
When: Saturday, Oct. 19, 5:30 p.m.
Tickets: $89 from

Why: Crystal Garden gets swanky Saturday for Art of the Cocktail, the hugely popular annual event by the team behind the Victoria Film Festival. VIP tickets for the showcase for local and national liquor exhibitors are sold out, but general admission tickets are still available; you’ll want to act quickly, however, as they won’t be around much longer. The Roaring Twenties-themed soiree is one of the city’s big social events, and guests arrive dressed to impress in their best Gatsby-era attire.

TCHAIKOVSKY & DVOŘÁK

Where: The Port Theatre, 125 Front St., Nanaimo
When: Saturday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $34-$58 from

Why: Edmonton cellist Sointu Aalto and Nanaimo’s youth poet laureate, Paige Pierce, will join conductor Cosette Justo Valdés in celebrating the Vancouver Island Symphony’s 30th anniversary Saturday at The Port Theatre. In addition to DvoÅ™ák’s Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, the Nanaimo-based orchestra is presenting a program that includes a world premiere from Aalto, adding to the celebratory feel.

[email protected]