Fairs and festivals: What's up in August

Every August, fairs and festivals mark the last weeks of summer.

In the Fraser Valley, these celebrations take the shape of rodeos and midways, carnivals and concerts. In every one, the urban and rural threads of each community appear.

Cowgirls run barrel races next to bouncy castle villages. A film festival sets up in Abbotsford days after the corn festival comes to a close. Thumping techno music echoes through the Fraser Canyon.

Fairs

Two major fall fairs kick off this month.

Neither, however, are technically called “fall” fairs. One is the Chilliwack Fair, and the other is the Abbotsford Agrifair. Neither take place in autumn. But both promise the hallmarks of the fair and all the accompanying dusty glamour—as well as some funky new additions.

(Fraser Valley residents have been celebrating the end of summer with fairs for centuries. Read about the history of this storied tradition here.)

Abbotsford Agrifair will run from August 4 to 6. The fair celebrates the community’s “agricultural roots” with competitive wrestling, mini golf, midway rides, a demolition derby, and a tank that smashes cars all weekend long.

Those, of course, will run alongside 4-H competitions and open horse shows—as well as professional demonstrations including traveling drill teams and trick riders. Antique farm equipment will also be on display.

Then, on August 11 to 13, the 151st Chilliwack Fair will be held at the Chilliwack Heritage Park. Activities from bouncy castles to gold panning and beyond will run all weekend. Performances including live music, motocross riding, horse shows, circus performers, and more.

The Chilliwack Rodeo is also a part of the Chilliwack Fair. Rough stock competitions—where competitors try to cling to bucking animals (saddled horses, bareback horses, or bulls depending on the event) for eight long seconds—take place on Friday night. Timed events (like barrel racing and roping events) will take place Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Festivals

Fairs aren’t the only way the Fraser Valley celebrates the end of summer. Several festivals featuring everything from peaches to paintings to EDM music will also claim their place on August’s calendar.

Chilliwack’s mural festival, where painters and artists from around the world show up to put a piece of their work on a wall in the city somewhere, will run from August 10 to 12.

A corn and peach festival at the Lepp Farmers Market in Abbotsford will take place on Saturday, August 19. Canning demonstrations and a peach pie competition will take center stage at this peachy party.

Up Highway 1 in the Fraser Canyon, the small town of Boston Bar has begun to be known for hosting the Altitude Music Festival. The festival features three days of camping and EDM music in the scenic valley from August 25 to 28.

That same weekend, the Abbotsford Film Festival kicks off at The Reach Gallery. The festival will show a wide range of independent short films and documentaries from the Fraser Valley and beyond.