Langley's Country Celebration

The Country Celebration of Nature is a Metro Vancouver community event at Campbell Valley Regional Park in mid-September in Langley.

The event was unable to take place in 2020 due to COVID-19, and it doesn’t look like the event happened in 2021 either. The event returned in 2022 but under a new name, called Once Upon a Field.

Country Celebration of Nature

In 2019, the Country Celebration event took place on the Saturday and Sunday of September 7th and 8th. In 2020, it was scheduled to happen Saturday, September 12th, from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm. It would have been a free, family-friendly event, had it not been cancelled due to COVID-19.

Unlike in previous years, in 2020 there would have no longer been dozens of market vendors, main stage performances and a food court. However, live entertainers, nature-related activities and at least one food truck was planned to be on-site. In addition, the event would have been only one day long rather than the usual two.

In 2022 the event returned but was renamed Once Upon a Field. Despite the name change many of the activities were the same as before the pandemic. There were also some new additions like educational wildlife stations and a grassland maze.

Country Celebration Admission

Admission to the event pre-pandemic cost $3 for adults and $1 for children and seniors (ages 65+). The 2022 edition was free.

As of the end of August it’s unknown whether this event will return in 2023.

Event Location

Langley’s Country Celebration (or Once Upon a Field) happens at Campbell Valley Regional Park which is located at 20290 16th Avenue (although that’s the north end of the park and the event takes place at the south end just off 204th Avenue). To find the venue just head to the park and then follow the event signs along the road.

Campbell Valley Regional Park is a nice and very large park. It has a number of heritage buildings, bike and walking trails, grassy fields and forested areas. It’s a popular place with both on and off-leash areas for dogs as well as trails for horseback riding.

Campbell Valley Regional Park Country Celebration — Campbell Valley Regional Park

Note about Allergies: the Country Celebration is held in a grassy field which is usually quite dry by the end of the summer (unless the rainy season has already begun). It’s a fantastic venue and most appropriate for a “country farm” fair.

The venue isn’t necessarily so perfect, however, for anyone that suffers from hay fever or serious seasonal allergies, nor allergies to sheep and other farm critters (although the animals are easy to keep your distance from).

Click Park Map for a map of Campbell Valley Regional Park.

What Happens at the Country Celebration?

The Country Celebration in past years was very much a “country fair.” There were farm animals to admire, musicians to listen to, market vendors to buy from, informational booths to learn from and all kinds of family-friendly activities.

Most years at the Country Celebration there have been close to a dozen different food vendors selling everything from corn dogs to ice cream, kettle corn and perogies, as well as close to four dozen or so market vendors and exhibitors.

As mentioned above, the newly renamed Once Upon a Field was a similar yet definitely different event. It was similar to what it was in the past, but much smaller, less commercial and with more of a “nature” focus.

Country fair-type activities for children at the event in the past include pony rides, a straw or grasslands maze, mini petting zoo, caged animals to look at, and multiple stations with kid-appropriate activities. Animals you’d find at the Country Celebration most years included sheep, pigs, ponies, chickens, geese and goats, plus the occasional dog walking around with his or her owner.

In short, the Country Celebration used to be a real live country fair! It was simple and not huge, but authentic.

Country Celebration Straw Maze — The Straw Maze at the Country Celebration

Country Celebration Entertainment

Live entertainment last year ran both days at the Country Celebration from around 11:00 in the morning until 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The schedule for the festival stage in 2019 was the following:

Saturday Entertainment

11:00 am – Ginalina
11:45 am – The Beaten Path
12:30 pm – Coal Davie & The Rockabillionaires
1:15 pm – Ginalina
2:00 pm – The Beaten Path
2:45 pm – Coal Davie & The Rockabillionaires

Sunday Entertainment

11:00 am – The Wilds
11:45 am – Coldwater Road
12:30 pm – 5 on a String
1:15 pm – The Wilds
2:00 pm – Coldwater Road
2:45 pm – 5 on a String

5 on a String at Langley's Country Celebration — 5 on a String at the Country Celebration

Tips and Advice

Below is a list of tips and additional information to help you make the most out of your experience at the Country Celebration.

TIP #1: Unless you live close by, Campbell Valley Regional Park is the kind of place you really need to drive to. There is a considerable amount of parking at the venue though, which is great, as they rope off a field and turn it into a parking lot.

TIP #2: If you have young children, this is a great event to take them to. It’s also a nice place to take picnics and explore the park.

TIP #3: If members of your group are age 19+ and like wine, don’t forget that Langley is winery country! For a list of area wineries to tour, click Lower Mainland Wineries.