Symphony in the Park in Abbotsford

Symphony in the Park is a great outdoor concert in Abbotsford‘s Mill Lake Park. The event usually happens in August and admission is free.

The concert in 2024 took place on Friday, August 16th. At the event the park is full of people and music. There are food trucks on-site too. It’s a great event and highly recommended. And it’s free (although donations are always welcome)!

For videos of what the event looks like, click Symphony in the Park Videos. For the event’s official website, visit calvindyck.com.

This article contains the following information about Symphony in the Park:

Orchestra and Music | Program Schedule | Symphony in the Park Videos | Tips & Advice | Other Information

Abbotsford’s Symphony in the Park

Symphony in the Park is produced by Calvin Dyck who is also the director of the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra and Concertmaster of the Vancouver Island Symphony (which is based in Nanaimo). The evening of music in Abbotsford features orchestral performances of popular movie soundtracks, Broadway music and more.

Symphony in the Park takes place on a select evening in August most years at Mill Lake Park. The park is located in central Abbotsford at 32960 Mill Lake Road. At the event there are usually about two hours of free entertainment to enjoy.

The 2024 symphony was be held on Friday, August 16th, and started at 6:30 pm.

For the event’s official website visit calvindyck.com.

Symphony in the Park in Abbotsford — Calvin Dyck and the Symphony

Orchestra and Music

The orchestra at Symphony in the Park is conducted by Calvin Dyck. The symphony features professional musicians from the Lower Mainland as well as from Vancouver Island. The orchestra is composed of over 40 talented musicians playing a variety of instruments. There’s a blend of violins, clarinets, horns, trumpets, trombones, percussion, bass, piano and more.

Highlights of the 2024 event included Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, Pirates of the Caribbean and Blue Danube Waltz. The 2025 repertoire will be different, but equally beautiful and entertaining.

For the event’s official website visit calvindyck.com.

2024 Program

The program for Symphony in the Park in 2024 is listed below. Between the first and second halves of the night there was a 20-minute intermission. The concert began at 6:30 pm and ran until about 8:30 pm.

First Half

O Canada
Symphony No. 5 (by Beethoven)
Clarinet Concerto 2nd Movement (by Mozart)
Water Music, Hornpipe (by Handel)
Blue Danube (by Johann Strauss)
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 (by Edvard Grieg)
Cinema Paradiso (by Morricone)
Carmen: Suite No. 1 (by Bizet)

Second Half

Happy Birthday
Irish Suite (by Leroy Anderson)
Can-Can (by Offenbach)
El Medico de Pianos (by Marin)
Zigeunerweisen Op. 20 (by Sarasate)
Pirates of the Caribbean (by Klaus Badelt)
Radetzky March (by Johann Strauss)

For the event’s official website, visit calvindyck.com.

Symphony in the Park Videos

To give you an idea of what to expect at the concert, check out the following videos. The first one shows scenes from Symphony in the Park in 2019 (which was the event’s third year). The scene is pretty much the same as this every year. As you’ll see in the video, it’s a very popular event!

Video of Concert in Mill Lake Park in 2019

Drummers at Concert

The following video is of a scene of the event from a few years ago. In addition to more traditional performances of both classical and more modern popular tunes, the orchestra usually plays one or two special pieces that include a bit of a show, like you’ll see with these drummers from the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra.

Tips & Advice

Listed below are some tips and advice to help you plan and make the most of your experience at Symphony in the Park.

TIP #1: The concert takes place in a park. Everyone is encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets. Just don’t bring anything that would obstruct the view of people sitting behind you. So no large umbrellas or tents!

TIP #2: Symphony in the Park is an outdoor event that happens rain or shine. If the forecast predicts cold weather or a chance of rain, be sure to dress accordingly.

TIP #3: Everyone can bring their own snacks and beverages. However, it’s good to know that there are food trucks at the park on the day and stations to refill water bottles.

TIP #4: Organizers of the event recommend parking at Abbotsford Middle School, Seven Oaks Mall or the MSA Skating Arena. However, if you’re bringing seniors and young children, you might want to drop them off with your lawn chairs at the playground along Bevan Avenue before searching for parking.