A golden flower, hockey celebrities, and honeybees: the best of April in the Fraser Valley

What do a golden flower, a sports celebrity, and a honeybee have in common? The answer: they will be at the centre of three fun events happening across the Fraser Valley this month.

Now that we’re providing a weekly comprehensive round-up of individual events for Insider members, our monthly events spotlight will focus on three specific noteworthy things to do.

Today, we focus on one of the valley’s longest-running events, a chance to meet some hockey legends, and one of nature’s hardest working insects—plus a great outdoor experience to enjoy over the coming month.

A golden flower 🌼

One of the longest-running events in the Fraser Valley will sprout up this month in Abbotsford. The Bradner Flower Show returns for its 93rd edition.

This year’s theme is ‘The Power of the Flower.’ The perennial event will feature displays of hundreds of daffodils, as well as arts and crafts, and gardening inspiration. The show will take place at Bradner Hall from April 14 to 16 from 10am to 4pm, with an official opening ceremony slated for 2pm Friday. Admission is $2.50. The tea room will also offer homemade soups, sandwiches, and treats for purchase. Proceeds from cut flower sales will be donated to Abbotsford Regional Hospital.

Last year, The Current wrote about the origins of the event and the birth of Bradner’s bulb industry. We spoke to horticulturalist Fenwick Fatkin’s granddaughter about continuing her grandfather’s legacy. Read that story here. 

A memorabilia experience 🏒

The Western Canada Collectibles Experience returns to the Langley Events Centre this month featuring a new line-up of former professional hockey players.

The event will take place during the Family Day long weekend from April 7 to 9. This year, special guests will include five-time Stanley Cup champion and hall-of-famer Steve Shutt, who spent the majority of his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens. Shutt’s appearance on Saturday will be followed by three-time Stanley Cup champion Andy Moog, who played for the Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, and Montreal Canadiens. Capping the Saturday signings will be hockey legend Denis Savard, best known for his spin-a-ramas (though apparently the term Savardian Spin-o-rama is often misattributed to him).

The final day of the event will feature former Vancouver Canuck Brendan Morrison, who anchored what may have been the team’s best-ever line: The West Coast Express. The event will continue with Olympic gold medallist Charline Labonté. A schedule and pricing for each day can be found online. 

In addition to the guests, the weekend event will also include an array of collectibles, merchandise, and memorabilia displays. Read about a past collectibles experience here.

Bee-ing mindful of the environment 🐝

People across the globe will be celebrating Earth Day on April 22 and you can mark the occasion with the Chilliwack Beekeepers.

The group will be celebrating their 10th anniversary at the Sardis Library from noon to 3pm with cake, warm drinks, kid’s activities, a ‘honeybee’ reading, and a games corner. There will also be an opportunity to pose your questions to the beekeepers. The event is free and open to the public. Find all the details online. 

Earth Day will be celebrated in more ways than one across the Fraser Valley. To find ways your community will recognize the annual event in support of our planet visit your city website by clicking the links below:

Langley City | Township of Langley | City of Abbotsford | City of Mission | City of Chilliwack | Harrison Hot Springs | District of Kent | District of Hope

(We’ll continue to add links to Earth Days events as they are scheduled.)

Find adventure with your kids 🥾

If you’re looking to head outside on a sunny spring day and have time for a drive, it’s worth checking out Syéx̱w Chó:leqw Adventure Park on the north side of the Fraser River between Agassiz and Hope.

Located along Highway 7 and operated by the Sq’ewá:lxwFirst Nation, the park includes a large playground featuring a zipline, and nearly 33 kilometres of trails for bikers of all levels, and spectacular scenery.

It’s open dust to dawn and the price—free!—is right.