Located less than 100 km east of Vancouver, Chilliwack hosts some of the best festivals and events in the Lower Mainland. It’s a nice place to visit!
There are things to do throughout the year in Chilliwack, including one-day events and seasonal attractions. There are also beautiful parks.
Events taking place on the last weekend of August in 2023 include the Chilliwack Corn Maze, Tour de Cure cycling event, Chilliwack Block Party, and Rotary’s Chilliwack Outdoor Book Sale. There is also a special concert with Ryan McAllister at Greendale Acres on the Saturday and Corn Fest at the Chilliwack Farmers Market on the Sunday.
To learn about the community in general, including its top places of interest, see our article about the City of Chilliwack or visit the Tourism Chilliwack website. To learn about some of the best events in the Fraser Valley, continue reading.
Festivals & Events in Chilliwack
Chilliwack is a fairly large community about 100 km east of Vancouver (or about a 90-minute drive in good traffic). There are so many things to see and do in the region, so it’s definitely worth the trip (especially when there are events happening, and when fresh produce is in season).
The city is where you’ll find farm-related activities, family-friendly events, and an annual rodeo, plus so much more. Chilliwack is also where some of the Lower Mainland’s best Halloween and Christmas events take place.
Below are some of the many events that happen in Chilliwack. There are lots of other great ones as well. There are just too many to mention them all!
Chilliwack Events in August
There are plenty of Chilliwack events happening in August 2023. The Chilliwack Corn Maze at Greendale Acres, for example, opened for the season on August 10th. On Saturday, August 12th, the farm hosts their Corn Maze Kick Off Concert event featuring the Tanner Olsen Band.
The 151st edition of the Chilliwack Fair & Rodeo takes place on August 11th, 12th and 13th. This year’s edition of the family-friendly event offers rodeo shows, concerts, games and more at Chilliwack Heritage Park. Happening on the same weekend is the Chilliwack Mural Festival with its street party, murals and other art-related activities. Also on the same busy weekend is the Timbersports National Championships at the Chilliwack Coliseum. At that event logger sports athletes entertain audiences by competing in timed challenges.
The following weekend of August 19th and 20th features two festivals with free activities. The Chilliwack Pride Festival is an LGBTQ+ celebration with drag queens, food trucks and a colourful theme. Chilliwack Flight Fest, meanwhile, runs on the same weekend with aircraft displays, a hangar dance and planes in the air.
August wraps up with the 39th annual Chilliwack Rotary Book Sale. The outdoor fundraiser runs on August 26th in 2023.
There is lots more to do in Chilliwack in August. The above are just some of the main events (plus a fundraising sale for people who like bargains and books).
Spring Events in Chilliwack
Near the beginning of the year is A Taste of the Valley at Chilliwack Heritage Park. It’s a food and beverage-sampling event that took place on February 10th and 11th in 2023.
Spring is also a fun season with lots of outdoor events. The Chilliwack Tulip Festival used to run from April to May. In 2023 it happened from April 19th to May 14th. There were tons of blooms to admire. (Note: As of 2024 the festival is in Agassiz instead with its new Harrison Tulip Festival name).
Another spring event is the Chilliwack Block Party. Part of the Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival, the event featured live music, food trucks and a small market at Central Community Park on April 29th and 30th. Details about this event are to be confirmed for 2024.
Easter is celebrated at Fantasy Farms and Greendale Acres Farm each year. Both places offer awesome kid-friendly activities and make for fun family outings in April. Greendale Acres Farm also hosts their Chilliwack Plowing Match event at the beginning of April. The annual event features tractor competitions, a pancake breakfast and more. In 2024 it happens on April 6th.
Greendale Acres also hosted a Sweet Spring event in 2023. It ran from April 14th to May 20th and featured flowers and fun activities for kids, including a jumping pillow, tricycle race track and hay bale maze. Details about Sweet Spring in 2024 are to be confirmed.
Summer Events in Chilliwack
Earlier this summer, there were National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations at Townsend Park on June 21st. Cultural demonstrations, activities and live performances ran throughout the day. The RCMP Musical Ride visited Chilliwack Heritage Park on the following week. The horseback-riding event with the RCMP doesn’t happen every year in Chilliwack, but it did in 2023.
July also begins with Canada Day celebrations at Townsend Park. The free event features live music, a beer garden, food trucks, and a Kids Zone. In 2023, July concluded with Chilliwack Ribfest which ran from July 28th to 30th. Held at Vedder Park, the barbeque rib-themed event had all sorts of vendors and food trucks. 2023 was the first year for Chilliwack Ribfest. It happens again in 2024, but with exact details to be confirmed.
Events taking place in August include the Chilliwack Corn Maze, Chilliwack Fair & Rodeo and Chilliwack Mural Festival. There is also the Chilliwack Pride Festival, Chilliwack Flight Fest and the Tour de Cure cycling event. In September, there’s the Fraser Valley Distillery & Beer Festival at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre. Some years the Chilliwack Block Party also happens in the summer.
Fall Events in Chilliwack
Autumn is always a great time of the year to visit Chilliwack. Greendale Acres and Fantasy Farms both host their family-friendly corn mazes and pumpkin patches until around the end of October. The venues are fun places to take your kids and get into the Halloween spirit! Fantasy Farms also hosts Reapers Maze of Terror on select nights in October. It’s a serious haunted attraction with terrifying twists.
The Chilliwack Sunflower Festival also used to take place in autumn in Chilliwack. That event has moved to Agassiz, however, as of the summer of 2023. To learn about the new event in that community, see our article about the Harrison Sunflower Festival (which opens for its first year in late August 2023).
Chilliwack Winter Events
Chilliwack offers a few Christmas-themed events each year. For example, there’s the Chilliwack Country Christmas Village in downtown Chilliwack in District 1881. Also in downtown is the Chilliwack Rotary Christmas Parade which takes place on December 2nd in 2023.
Chilliwack Heritage Park hosts a few events during the holiday season as well. The Chilliwack Christmas Craft Market usually starts up in November. It’s one of the biggest craft fairs in all of Metro Vancouver. Another event worth going to is the Christmas Gifts Expo. It takes place on December 8th, 9th and 10th in 2023. The holiday market is impressive with over 250 vendors. It’s perfect for Christmas shopping.
Other Information
To learn more about attractions and other things to do in the community, see our article about the City of Chilliwack or visit the Tourism Chilliwack website.
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