Symphony in the Park in Abbotsford

Symphony in the Park is a great outdoor concert with a full orchestra in Abbotsford‘s Mill Lake Park. The event happens in August and admission is by donation.

At the event the park is full of people and music. There are food trucks on site too. It’s a fabulous concert and highly recommended. It’s also free (although donations are greatly appreciated).

Click Symphony in the Park Videos for videos of what the event looks like. Visit calvindyck.com for the event’s official website.

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

Abbotsford’s Symphony in the Park in 2026

Calvin Dyck is the director of the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra and former Concertmaster of the Vancouver Island Symphony (based in Nanaimo). He is also the man behind the Symphony in the Park event.

The evening of music in Abbotsford features orchestral performances of popular movie soundtracks and classical favourites. It features a full, professional symphony orchestra. Also performing are a few members and alumni from the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra.

The 2026 concert features a large orchestra as well as guest appearances by the Fraser Valley Academy of Dance. The night features a mix of classical and contemporary compositions.

Visit calvindyck.com for the event’s official website.

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

When and Where is the Concert?

Presented by Songs Strings and Steps, Symphony in the Park takes place every year on a select evening in the summer at Mill Lake Park. At the event there are about two hours of wonderful, free entertainment to enjoy.

The 2026 concert is on Friday, August 14th. It starts at 6:30 pm.

The park is located in central Abbotsford. The concert itself happens near the lawn bowling on the Bevan side of Mill Lake Park (so on the south side, in the middle of the park, more or less halfway between Emerson Street and Ware Street).

Depending on which entrance and parking lot you use, addresses for the park include 32960 Mill Lake Road, 2310 Emerson Street and 33015 Bevan Avenue. Attendees can also park at Sevenoaks Shopping Centre, Abbotsford Middle School and the MSA Skating Arena.

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 50+ talented musicians playing a variety of instruments. There’s a blend of violins, clarinets, horns, trumpets, trombones, percussion, bass, piano and more.

Program

Symphony in the Park features two halves with a 20-minute intermission. The full show typically takes two hours.

In 2026 the orchestra performs music from the Sound of Music, Superman and Mission Impossible. Classical tunes include pieces by Mozart and Haydn. There’s also a spine tingling performance of the 1812 Overture with audience involvement (by the popping of as many as 3,000 paper lunch bags to provide the sound of cannons on cue).

Full 2026 Performance Schedule

The complete program for the 2026 edition of Symphony in the Park is below.

O Canada – Calixa Lavallée
Marriage of Figaro Overture – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Trumpet Concerto in Eb (1st mvmt) – Franz Joseph Haydn
Viva La Vida – Coldplay
Finlandia – Jean Sibelius
Praeludium from Holberg Suite – Edvard Grieg
Superman March – John Williams
Polonaise de Concert – David Popper
Conga del Fuego – Arturo Marquez
Intermission
Happy Birthday
Bugler’s Holiday – Leroy Anderson
Hot Canary – Paul Nero
Mission Impossible – Lalo Schifrin
Sound of Music Medley – Richard Rodgers
1812 Overture – Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Visit calvindyck.com for the event’s official website.

Symphony in the Park Contest

New last year, Symphony in the Park had a contest that anyone could enter for free. At the concert at Mill Lake Park, one lucky winner was chosen to conduct the orchestra. Obviously, you had to be there to win.

Last year the contest happened through the Abbotsford News where three lucky winners were announced at the event. There were three prizes to be won. They included a gift basket from Lepp’s Farm Market as well as four tickets to the annual SSS Christmas Concert. The grand prize, meanwhile, was an opportunity to conduct the Symphony Orchestra in front of the audience at Mill Lake Park.

As of the beginning of August, it’s unclear whether or not a similar sort of contest is happening again this year.

Visit calvindyck.com for the event’s official website.

Symphony in the Park Videos

Check out the following videos to give you an idea of what to expect at the concert. The first video 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 each year. As you’ll see in the video, it’s a very popular event.

Video of Concert in Mill Lake Park

Below is a video of Symphony in the Park at Mill Lake Park in Abbotsford from a few years ago.

Drummers at Concert

The following video is also 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 in the video below.

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, 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.

TIP #5: Admission to the concert is by donation, which is awesome! It costs a lot to produce the event, however, both in dollars and volunteer hours. Please donate generously. If you had to pay for an event like this, it would likely cost a fair bit! It’s also good to know, donations of $30 or more can receive a tax receipt.

Event Sponsors

Symphony in the Park is a free event that’s made possible by the generous support of a number of local businesses and organizations. They include Diverse Properties, Polygon, Structure Craft and Longboard Architectural Products. The event is also grateful for grants from the City of Abbotsford and the Music Performance Trust Fund which is administered by the Vancouver Musicians Association.

Sponsors of Symphony in the Park

Other Concerts

Calvin Dyck is involved with other concerts at other times of the year too. Over a weekend in mid-December, there’s typically a Christmas Gifts concert at Central Heights Church in Abbotsford. It too is a symphony orchestra concert presented by Songs, Strings & Steps.