When spring starts to bloom, there’s no better place to be than the Fraser Valley! It’s that refreshing time of year when the air is scented with the sweet smell of blossoms, and you can leave your jacket at home. The local outdoors is filled with opportunities for adventure, whether you’re heading out with a friend or embarking on a family outing to kick off the new season.
We suggest starting with some of our outstanding flower experiences—most notably our renowned tulip festivals! Year after year, these nearby spring festivals give visitors from all over an impressive scope of how dedicated our local green thumbs are and how rich the Canadian growing tradition is (especially in the Valley). Picture a sea of colour swaying gently as you savour a peaceful moment. It’s quite a sight to behold!
Each festival location is no more than an hour’s drive from Vancouver, making it the perfect addition to your local spring itinerary. These noteworthy locales are a fantastic and refreshing way to shop locally; there’s never been a more beautiful way to support the community! Word to the wise, though, tulip bloom times don’t last forever. The window for viewing usually only lasts through early Spring: April to mid-May (depending on growing conditions). So be sure to start your tour sooner rather than later; that way, you can stock up on freshly cut flowers and gather everything you need to plant tulip bulbs in the garden. Bring a bit of the spring bloom home with you, and imagine an extraordinary life of perennial tulips!
Abbotsford
Lakeland Flowers
*tentatively scheduled to reopen on April 5
With a sprawling 35 acres and 100 different types of tulips, this yearly tradition brings countless visitors to an experience that is hard to describe—there’s a good chance the sheer volume of fresh tulip flowers growing will leave you speechless! While strolling the stretching aisles, you’ll likely find a flower bed of your favourite colour to take photos with. And be sure to watch for the double tulips, also known as peony species tulips, that have large, full blooms due to their extra petals.
Chilliwack
Botanica Flower Festival
*scheduled to open early April
With 1.5 million bulbs across 13 acres, get ready to set your brightness levels to 100%! From the lovingly planted rows of vibrant buds to the onsite ferris wheel, this area-famous festival feels like a community celebration. It makes for a relaxing, go-at-your-pace outing, which is sometimes the best option when you’re wrangling little ones. Botanica is located just off Highway 1 in Chilliwack, so it makes for a pretty direct route if the weather report is calling for a few bright spots. And before you leave, don’t forget to visit their farm shop for locally-made goods, fresh eggs, bouquets, and bulbs for your garden—remember, tulips should be planted 6-8 inches deep for them to really flourish!
Greendale Acres Sweet Spring Flower Festival
*farm to reopen on March 27, tulips reopening date TBD
A fantastic attraction in its own right, Greendale Acres kicks off spring looking its absolute best with this annual flower festival dedicated to gorgeous tulips blooming. Inspired by the famous Dutch flower festivals, Greendale goes the extra mile by arranging bulbs into beautifully intricate designs. Spring also marks the arrival of new members to the barnyard family. Visitors are welcome to say hello to the baby goats, sheep and bunnies—what better way to celebrate the Easter season?
Harrison
Harrison Tulip Festival
*scheduled to open early April
Located on a beautiful 109-acre Agassiz farm with a panoramic view of the mountains as the backdrop, visitors are welcome to wander along the pathways of this picturesque festival, taking in the stunning scene of 10 million tulips and savouring the soft fragrance of hyacinths and double daffodils. New to the farm in the last year is a fantastic 4-acre show garden that showcases immaculately manicured beds full of a variety of tulips, as well as hyacinths, mini grapes, double daffodils, and fritillaria. It’s like walking into an immersive bouquet! Be sure to arrive with your phone fully charged, because last year, the festival received international recognition at the World Tulip Summit as the “Best Instagrammable Tulip Farm”! Additionally, they will have two flower stands in Rosedale and Agassiz that will stock their fresh-cut tulips, available until Mother’s Day—the perfect way to celebrate and shop local.
