The earliest known record of the Nanaimo May long weekend celebrations (previously named “Empire Days”) was on May 25th, 1863 and can be found in the May 30th, 1863 edition of the British Colonist newspaper. Nanaimo boasts the oldest annual continuous community celebrations of the May long weekend without a break in Commonwealth, which unless proven otherwise, remains undisputed to this day!

In 2015, the name changed from “Empire Days” to “Nanaimo Heritage Days” in recognition and respect of the strong desire for our community to be truly inclusive and honor the roots of its diversity.

The event was reinvented as a celebration of Nanaimo and all the cultures, heritages, and histories that come together within the city. To strengthen this new direction, local business and volunteers stepped up and committed to ensuring its success during the years of 2015 and 2016.

In 2017, Nanaimo Heritage Days changed hands to proceed forth as a 100% community organized and volunteer based non-profit event.