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.

This year’s event takes place on Friday, August 16th. Last year, Symphony in the Park happened on Friday, August 18th. The park is usually 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 & Suggestions | 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 an evening in August most years at Mill Lake Park which is located in the middle of Abbotsford at 32960 Mill Lake Road. At the event there are usually about two hours or so of free entertainment to enjoy.

After not taking place in 2020 and 2021, Symphony in the Park returned on August 12th in 2022. The event happened again in 2023, on Friday, August 18th, and takes place once more in 2024 on Friday, August 16th. The symphony starts at 6:30 pm.

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

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

2023 Orchestra and Music

The same as last year, 2024’s orchestra at Symphony in the Park is conducted by Calvin Dyck. Special guest at last year’s symphony was Jim Hopson. Jim Hopson is a Juno-nominated musician, composer and arranger currently based in Vancouver. Whether Jim reprises his role again this year is to be confirmed as will the special guest if Jim Hopson doesn’t feature in 2024.

The symphony at the event 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 2023 event included The Mandalorian theme and an Alphorn Concerto with Jim Hopson. Also played were Raider’s March by John Williams, Moon River by Mancini, as well as other pieces from famous shows and composers. The Abbotsford Youth Orchestra performed Victory by Bond as well.

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

2023 Program

The pieces performed at Symphony in the Park in 2023 are listed below. The program for 2024 is to be confirmed. Between the first and second halves of the night there is usually a short intermission. The concert begins at 6:30 pm and runs until about 8:30 pm.

First Half

O Canada (by Calixa Lavallee)
William Tell Overture (by Giaochino Rossini)
Slavonic Dances Op. 46, No. 8 (by Antonin Dvorak)
Mack the Knife (by Kurt Weill)
Blue Tango (by Leroy Anderson)
Pizzicato Polka (by Johann Strauss)
Wedding Day at Troldhaugen (by Edvard Grieg)
Tico Tico (by Zequinha de Abreu)
Jodelhorn (by Jim Hopson)
Hot Canary (by Paul Nero)

Second Half

Die Fiedermaus Overture (by Johann Strauss)
Moon River (by Henry Mancini)
Hungarian Dances (#2 & #7) (by Johannes Brahms)
Victory (by Bond)
My Neighbour Totoro (by Joe Hisaishi)
Overture from La Travlata (by Giuseppe Verdi)
The Manalorian (by Ludwig Goransson)
Raider’s March (by John Williams)
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 2022. 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.