It’s official. We’ve passed that critical point in every year when getting out of town is required by the necessity of maintaining good mental health during the dark days of Winter.

Spring has sprung – and that also means that the Comox Valley begins to spring to life as warmer days mean lots to do close to home.

Getting away in April doesn’t have to be about packing up the family for the weekend (that’s exhausting), more like planning to make it to all of the coolness right within an hour of your front steps.

Here are some gems to get on your calendar as “not to miss” items:

One of my favourite annual April events in the Valley is the return of the Canadian Armed Forces Snowbirds as they roar through the sky during their annual Spring Training at Comox 19 Wing. While the training schedule hasn’t been released yet, there are some fantastic spots to catch these guys in action and they generally have two practices a day for most of the month.

We’ve found that an afternoon tide pooling at Pt. Holmes Beach or Kye Bay is a perfect combination with the Snowbirds. They also have a public show later in the month over the Comox Marina. Fun!

For all of that fresh fun and community, the Comox Valley Farmers Market opens April 11 out at the Exhibition Grounds on Headquarters Road. I am so looking forward to laid back Saturday mornings when the family can hit the market and then hit the Comopost Education Centre to spend some time at the Community Gardens.

What was that I just said?

That’s right, Our Big Earth and the Comox Valley Regional District have teamed up this year to offer families the chance to take part in the Family Community Gardens. Details and registration will be up next week here on Our Big Earth. There’s limited space. So, if you are looking for a wee plot of land to do some planting with the kids this year, get ready for fun with OBE.

This all kicks off on April 18 out at the Compost Education Centre (right there on the Exhibition Grounds) when the Centre holds its seasonal Grand Opening festivities. Come join OBE and the CVRD from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. that saturday (April 18) as we’ll have OBE-style, Earth-friendly activities for the family and a special cerermony to officially kick off the community gardens. Hooray!

The weekend after that is the Earth Day Family Festival (April 25) out at Simms Millennium Park in Courtenay. A revamped format, new location and new kids area sponsor (that would be OBE!) means some seriously good times out at the park that day. So, plan on celebrating the planet with us and look for news about our schedule of kid-friendly fun here on OBE.

With Easter right around the corner (April 12), there are some serious good times on the go to celebrate.

One of our faves is the annual Comox Easter Egg Hunt on April 13. This year, there’s also a lovely children’s Easter Tea at The Filberg.

There are events all around the region. So, keep an eye out here for a more comprehensive list.

For those of you looking for a way to get away from it all for an hour or two each week, registration for our Spring NeighbourWood Walks series begins on April 9 with the six-week walk series starting April 29. The theme for Spring is all about tides. So, we’ll be exploring local beaches (and catching a few low-low Spring tides), discovering cool creatures and making lots of friends in the process.

The walks will, as always, be on Wednesday afternoons to offer that mid-week break.

Finally, don’t forget to check out a whole month’s worth of family-focused, fun and educational events at the Brant Wildlife Festival at locations around Qualicum Beach and Parksville. This event celebrates one of the the last great annual migrations left in North America and is an absolute gem.