Where to celebrate Canada Day in the Fraser Valley

Canada Day festivities will kick July off with a bang, despite fireworks shows being less common than they once were.

The Fraser Valley will be celebrating Canada Day with more than a dozen events across the region. So whether you want to partake in a drone show in Langley, a bannock breakfast in Mission, free ice skating in Chilliwack, or three separate parades in Harrison, there are lots of ways for you to enjoy the day.

Langley | Abbotsford-Mission | Eastern Fraser Valley

Langley

Langley will be a happening place on Canada Day, with two events hosted directly by the Township of Langley and a bunch more taking place throughout the community.

The Township kicks off its Canada Day celebrations at McLeod Athletic Park at 11am, with a performance by the Wild Moccasin Dancers. That family-friendly event will also include food trucks, bouncy castles, and a wide variety of music genres on its Spirit Stage.

Festivities at Willoughby Community Park get started later in the day, with concerts at 8:15pm and 9:15pm, and a drone light show starting at 10:15pm.

Over in Aldergrove, the the Legion and the Aldergrove Fair will host a BBQ, face painting, and free activities with the community, with a flag-raising at 1pm at the cenotaph.

The BC Farm Museum in Fort Langley holds its annual Canada Day event, which includes a community scavenger hunt, museum activities, an Aldor Acres petting zoo, and more.

Finally, Langley’s Loft Country Farms has a ticketed Canada Day celebration, which will feature old west shoot outs, carriage rides, and a giant rocking horse.

Abbotsford-Mission

Parade-lovers can head to Abbotsford, where there will be at least two parades starting off the day.

The Mt. Lehman Community Association’s parade will begin at 9:30am on the corner of Mt. Lehman Road and Taylor Road. The parade will be followed by 10am flag raising ceremony, and preceded by an 8am pancake breakfast.

The City of Abbotsford’s parade begins a little later, taking off at 11am down South Fraser Way and ending at W.J. Mouat Secondary School. The day’s festivities begin at 1pm at Abbotsford Exhibition Park, and include a mini car show, concerts and mini golf. The fireworks show will get underway at 10pm that night.

Over in Mission, Canada Day will begin with a $6 pancake and bannock breakfast at 8am. A celebration at Fraser River Heritage Park will get underway at 10am, with a mobile zipline, first responders obstacle course, and a monster foam party. A flag raising ceremony will happen at 11am.

Eastern Fraser Valley

Although Chilliwack’s main Canada Day event will take place in the evening at Exhibition Park, the city is offering a variety of different ways you can celebrate the day. Free ice skating will begin at 11am at both the Chilliwack Coliseum and the Sardis Sports Complex, while free swimming will be available all day at both indoor pools. There will also be free movies at Cottonwood 4 Cinemas from noon to 4pm, and free admission to the museum from 11am to 3pm.

The city’s evening event will start at 5pm at Exhibition Park. It will include live music, food trucks, and a drone light show.

Over in Agassiz, the District of Kent will celebrate rodeo-style at Pioneer Park starting at 8am. The day will feature a pancake breakfast, a free swim at Ferny Coombe pool, a mechanical bull, and a free slice of cake to celebrate the country’s birthday.

The Kilby Historic Site in Harrison Mills will have their This is Us. Right Now. celebration, focusing on Canada’s kaleidoscope of communities, from 11am to 3pm.

In Harrison Hot Springs itself, Canada Day events will be parade-centric, with a pet-parade at 10am, the main parade at 5pm, and a light parade at 9:30pm. The annual fireworks display was a contentious issue this year—with council initially deciding to kibosh the event. The village has since decided to re-instate the fireworks—if they can find the funding.

In Hope, a lack of funding has caused the District and the Fraser Valley Regional District to scale back celebrations. But there will still be a car show in Memorial Park followed by festivities at the recreation centre’s ball fields. Those include bouncy castles for kids and live music for all. There are no plans for fireworks this year.

Elsewhere in Hope, Mountainview Brewing Co. is hosting two Canada Day concerts. The first will see Ted Kim performing from 1 to 3pm at the brewery in a free, first-come-first-serve concert. Gift Shop, a Tragically Hip tribute band, will be at the brewery from 6 to 9:30pm for their ticketed show.