Chilliwack is a large agricultural community in the Fraser Valley. It’s located about 100 km east of Vancouver between Abbotsford and Bridal Veil Falls.
See below for information about Chilliwack as well as a list of some of the community’s most popular attractions and events.
Lots of events happen in Chilliwack over the course of the year. In the spring of 2024, for example, there are a couple of flower festivals. There is Sweet Spring at Greendale Acres which is arguably the best tulip festival in the Lower Mainland for children. There is also the Botanica Tulip Festival which has a Ferris Wheel and takes place on the same farm that the Chilliwack Tulip Festival used to be at. On May 4th and 5th there is also Chilliwack Party in the Park. All three of these events are definitely worth checking out!
This article contains the following information about Chilliwack:
Chilliwack Places of Interest | Special Events | Tips & Advice | Other Information
The City of Chilliwack, British Columbia
Incorporated in 1873, Chilliwack is the third oldest still existing municipality in British Columbia. Only New Westminster (1860) and Victoria (1862) began before. Although very rural, with close to 80,000 residents, today Chilliwack is one of the province’s largest population centres. Population-wise, it’s bigger even than cities like Maple Ridge, New Westminster, Port Coquitlam and West Vancouver.
Chilliwack is too far east to be a member municipality within Metro Vancouver, but it is still part of the Lower Mainland. Together with places like Abbotsford, Harrison Hot Springs, Langley and Mission, it makes up what is known as the Fraser Valley region.
For information about tourism in the area, including places to stay, see the tourismchilliwack.com website.
Chilliwack Places of Interest
Chilliwack is home to a number of historic sites and other places of interest including the following:
- Atchelitz Threshermen’s Association Museum – a historical site that’s also called “Pioneer Village” beside Chilliwack Heritage Park.
- Chilliwack Coliseum – the city’s sports arena which hosts concerts and other events. It also has two ice rinks and is home to the Chilliwack Chiefs BCHL hockey team.
- Chilliwack Heritage Park – a 65-acre park with a 150,000 square-foot building used for trade shows and other events. The Chilliwack Fair takes place there in the summer and the Chilliwack Craft Market in November.
- Chilliwack Museum and Archives – a museum about the region in downtown Chilliwack.
- Chilliwack Pump Track – a track where you can ride your bike or skateboard up and down over a series of little hills and dips.
- Dickens Sweets Shop – a 10,000-square-foot facility that houses a candy store, teahouse and British museum at 45945 Alexander Avenue. Admission is free.
- Greendale Acres – a farm and family-friendly attraction at 41905 Yale Road West in Chilliwack.
- Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve – a large area of wetlands on Chilliwack’s Vedder River with walking trails.
- Chilliwack Farmers Market – on Sundays between late May and mid-October at 9360 Mill Street in downtown Chilliwack.
- Fantasy Farms – a farm at 9423 Gibsons Road that hosts special events at Easter, in the fall and at Halloween.
Other Attractions in the Chilliwack Region
Other places of interest near Chilliwack include the following:
- Bridal Falls Waterpark – an attraction with water slides just off the Trans-Canada Highway (by the turnoff to Harrison Hot Springs).
- Bridal Veil Falls – a provincial park located 15 minutes east Chilliwack and just off the Trans-Canada Highway.
- Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park – a beautiful provincial park just under 50 kilometres east of Chilliwack.
- Cultus Lake – a resort town about 20 minutes south of Chilliwack that’s home to the Cultus Lake Adventure Park, Cultus Lake Waterpark and a very popular provincial park.
Chilliwack Special Events
A number of annual events take place in Chilliwack including the following:
Events in Spring & Early in the Year
- Botanica Tulip Festival – a flower festival that happens on the former site of the Chilliwack Tulip Festival.
- Chilliwack Block Party – a food truck event hosted by the Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival. In 2022 it was at the Chilliwack Coliseum in June. In 2023 it was at Central Community Park in April. In 2024 it’s called Chilliwack Party in the Park and it happens on May 4th and 5th.
- Chilliwack Tulip Festival – a large flower festival in the spring. (Note: In 2024 this event moved to Agassiz and has been renamed the Harrison Tulip Festival.)
- Easter Egg Hunt at Greendale Acres – Easter activities at Greendale Acres Farm.
- Petey’s Easter Eggstravaganza – Easter activities at Fantasy Farms.
- A Night of Illumination Adult Easter Egg Hunt – an event for adults at Fantasy Farms in March or April.
- Chilliwack Plowing Match – an annual event that features tractor competitions, a pancake breakfast and live entertainment at Greendale Acres in the spring.
- Sweet Spring Flower Festival – flowers and family-friendly activities at Greendale Acres Farm for a few weeks between April and May.
Chilliwack Events in the Summer
- Canada Day – family-friendly activities take place at Townsend Park on July 1st.
- Chilliwack Fair & Rodeo – an annual country fair and rodeo in August.
- Chilliwack Pride Festival – a 2SLGBTQIA+ event in downtown Chilliwack in August.
- Fraser Valley Classic Car Show – an outdoor auto show in Chilliwack featuring classic cars from throughout the 20th century.
- Chilliwack Flight Fest – an airshow at the Chilliwack Airport in August.
- The Chilliwack Mural Festival – an arts festival in downtown Chilliwack.
- Chilliwack Ribfest – an event featuring BBQ-ed rib vendors, live entertainment and family-friendly activities in the summer.
- Chilliwack Sunflower Festival – a farm with acres of sunflowers to admire and take photos of in late August and early September. (Note: This event used to take place in Chilliwack. As of 2023, however, it happens as the “Harrison Sunflower Festival” in Harrison Hot Springs.)
- Chilliwack Corn Maze – a family-friendly attraction at Greendale Acres that usually starts up for the season in August.
- Chilliwack Block Party – food trucks, market vendors, and a beer garden. It’s hosted by the Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival.
- Northwest Mud Racing – truck racing in the mud at Chilliwack Heritage Park in August.
- Chilliwack Corn Maze – family-friendly activities at Greendale Acres on select dates from mid-August until the end of October.
- Chilliwack Pride Festival – a community event with a 2SLGBTQIA+ theme in downtown Chilliwack in mid-August. It’s a colourful event featuring food trucks, market vendors, drag queens and live entertainment.
Chilliwack Events in the Autumn
- Chilliwack Corn Maze & Pumpkin Farm – kid-friendly fall and Halloween-related activities at Greendale Acres at 41905 Yale Road West.
- Peteys Pumpkin Patch – a kid-friendly corn maze, pumpkin patch and other activities at Fantasy Farms in October.
- Reapers Maze of Terror – a popular Halloween attraction in October that’s located at Chilliwack’s Fantasy Farms at 9423 Gibson Road.
Chilliwack Events in Winter
- Chilliwack Country Christmas Village – a winter holiday attraction in downtown Chilliwack.
- The Chilliwack Christmas Craft Market – one of the Lower Mainland’s largest craft fairs takes place at Chilliwack Heritage Park in mid-November.
- Christmas Gift Expo – a giant winter holiday-themed trade show and artisan market at Chilliwack Heritage Park in December.
- Chilliwack Rotary Christmas Parade – an annual Santa Claus parade in downtown Chilliwack.
CHILLIWACK HOTELS
If you plan to spend a night in Chilliwack, a great place to consider is the Chilliwack Coast Hotel. It’s conveniently located at 45920 First Avenue by Salish Park in the heart of downtown.
For a list of other places to stay at, including hotels, B&Bs and campgrounds, see the Tourism Chilliwack website.
Tips & Advice
Metro Vancouver has a gas tax to help fund its public transit system. Municipalities in the Fraser Valley like Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Mission aren’t part of Metro Vancouver, and so stations there don’t have the gas tax.
If you’re in Chilliwack or other similar communities in the region, be sure to fill up your tank. The savings can be as high as 10 cents a litre!
Other Information
To learn about places to stay in Chilliwack, visit tourismchilliwack.com.
For further details about Chilliwack and the surrounding region, check out any of the following:
