Local arts, crafts and produce are sold in downtown stores, galleries and gift shops. Parksville accommodation caters to budgets from modest to maximum, a string of resorts, hotels, cabins and campgrounds line-up smartly along Parksville’s scenic waterfront.
Parksville’s community spirit, combined with the climate that is so garden-friendly, earned the city “Five Blooms,” or first place for cities its size, at the 2006 Communities in Bloom National Award Ceremonies. This award adds to the accolades that Parksville and Qualicum Beach shared when they won the national Communities in Bloom “Canadian Classic” competition in 2004.
When they’ve had their fill of throwing frisbees on the beach, youngsters flock to Lion’s Venture Land Playground, a cornucopia of wildly colourful slides, swings and tire spinners in addition to a water spray zone and massive jungle gym. The grounds also include a great Skateboard & BMX Park. Older kids looking for thrills and hopefully not too many spills get their kicks at the Top Bridge Mountain Bike Park, an acclaimed network of trails built and maintained by the Arrowsmith Mountain Bike Club.
Mini-putt fanatics are in heaven here thanks to a series of wonderfully fanciful and challenging miniature golf courses. And nature buffs can wander for hours throughout Rathtrevor Provincial Park, strolling along the picture-perfect beachfront or exploring a delightful forest that begins at the very edge of the pebble, wave-lashed foreshore.