9 things to do in the Fraser Valley this May

If April showers bring May flowers, then frenetic April elections bring fantastic May events.

This month, the Fraser Valley is home to a huge variety of events, from bird-watching camping trips and Ukrainian dance festivals to science workshops and Indigenous art exhibitions. A few events are also taking place on Mother’s Day, to help you celebrate the mothering people in your life.

Langley

In Langley, folks can go for a walk, expand their minds with science, and get some feedback on their artistic creations.

Langley Walk

For years, Langley residents have been coming together for a community walk. On Sunday, May 4, the community is invited to pull on their walking shoes for the 63rd time.

In 1963, the Township of Langley’s first recreation director decided residents in his community needed to be more active. He created the Langley Walk, a 28km trek from Aldergrove Park to Fort Langley to City Park. Thousands of people participated. Since then, the Township of Langley and the City of Langley have taken turns hosting the event.

Participants are no longer expected to spend five hours walking. This year, the walk is beginning at Aldergrove Athletic Park, and is only five kilometres long. The event begins at 12:30pm, and a plaque will be awarded to the oldest walker. Registration is free and available online.

Science Rendezvous

Kwantlen Polytechnic University is hosting a family-friendly science festival at its Langley campus on Saturday, May 10. The festival is billed as the largest of its kind in the Fraser Valley.

Families will get a chance to try a variety of hands-on experiments, as well as watch chemistry magic shows, participate in interactive labs, test cutting-edge patient simulators, and take a guided tour of KPU’s beer lab. (You can read our story about the university’s brew school here.)

The festival is free, but registration is required. The day begins at 11am and finishes at 2pm. A full schedule is available online.

Art Critique

Artists of all ages and levels of experience could use a friendly eye to help them understand their work. That’s why the Langley Arts Council hosts a monthly art critique for artists of all kinds.

On Sunday, May 18, artist and illustrator Eric Hotz will be facilitating the May critique at the Langley Arts Council building in Aldergrove. Artists can bring a copy of their work, and present it to the group to get feedback from peers and more experienced artists.

The critique has a pay-what-you-can model, and registration is available online.

Abbotsford and Mission

Celebrate Ukrainian culture, explore the Fraser through new eyes, and get in some moonlight fishing in Abbotsford and Mission this month.

BC Ukrainian Festival

Head to the Clarke Theatre in Mission for a massive celebration of Ukrainian dance, music, food, arts, and more. The 28th annual BC Ukrainian Culture Festival is at the theatre from 9am to 5pm on Saturday, May 3.

The festival will feature competitive Ukrainian dancing as the main event. Troupes from as far away as Alberta and Seattle travel to the festival each year to compete and be judged on their technique and costume design. Patrons will also be able to check out Ukrainian vendors, and little kids can spend some time in a crafting activity centre.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for youth and seniors, and $2 for children under six. Twenty percent of the proceeds will be donated to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. Tickets are available at the door.

Sát’atqwa7/Stó:lō "Fraser River" Art Exhibition

Head to the Semá:th First Nation Community Hall for a journey down the Fraser River from the Canyon to the Valley, and beyond.

The Sát’atqwa7/Stó:lō "Fraser River" Art Exhibition is taking place from 10am to 6pm on Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18, and features artwork from two St'át'imc artists: Michael Serroul from T'it'q'et and Vanessa Serroul from Xwísten. (The communities are located near the town of Lillooet)

The exhibition will show the differences and similarities between communities along the Fraser River by focusing on the language and art of the people who live beside the river, and the environment of the river itself.

Fishing in the Dark

Silverbrook Farm in Abbotsford wants you to live out your Nitty Gritty Dirt Band dreams and go fishing in the dark this month. The farm has trout fishing, a petting zoo, and two ways to enjoy the day.

From 2 to 5:30pm on Saturday, May 31, people of all ages can head to the farm and enjoy live music, fishing, and other activities—although it won’t be dark out. After 6:30pm, it’s an adults-only experience, with songs by Dad Jam and drinks from Locality Brewing.

Tickets for the all-ages afternoon are $25 each, while tickets to the adults-only night are $35 a piece. Booking is available online.

Eastern Fraser Valley

Birds, Broadway, and soccer balls are a key part of May’s events in Chilliwack, Agassiz, and beyond.

Skagit Valley Bird Blitz

Get to know your local birds this month. The Skagit Valley Bird Blitz is returning to the Ross Lake group campground between Friday, May 9 and Sunday, May 11. The blitz began in 2011 with the efforts of a number of enthusiastic birders who wanted to create their own, more-local version of Manning Park’s annual bird-watching event.

The Skagit Valley Bird Blitz will allow birders to spend the weekend camping in the valley while they look for some of the 199 recorded species in the area. And because the event is taking place in May, participants will likely avoid the full ferocity of Skagit’s infamous mosquitoes.

The event is $75 for a birder wanting to stay the whole weekend, or $60 for someone wanting to camp for one night. There are also options for people wanting to just pull out their binoculars for the day. Registration is available online.

Newsies

Extra, extra! The Chilliwack Cultural Centre hosts a performance of an award-winning Broadway musical that newspaper junkies are bound to love.

Newsies, a musical based on the real-life newsboys strike of 1899 in New York, is being performed by Ignite Theatre, a drama group based out of the Heritage Christian Online School. The actors range from Grades 5 to 12, and will bring the iconic show to life on the Chilliwack stage.

Performances run from Wednesday, May 21 to Saturday, May 24 at 7pm, with an additional 1pm matinee on the Saturday. Tickets are available online.

Seabird Island Festival

The Seabird Island Festival is returning to the region on Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25 this year. The festival includes sports competitions and war canoe races, and past years have also included powwows, salmon dinners, and other community events.

Seabird Island held its first festival in 1969. Then-Chief Archie Charles began the event to bring war canoe races back to the First Nation, and the festival grew into a multi-community event. (You can read more about the history of the festival here.)

Registration for soccer tournaments is currently available online, as is registration for vendors and artisans.

Mother’s Day

Whether you are looking for a place to take your own mom, or just something to do with the mothering women in your life, we’ve got a couple of Mother’s Day activities for you to check out.

Afternoon tea cooking class

Well Seasoned in Langley hosts a variety of cooking classes throughout the year, and on Sunday, May 11, Chef Whitney is inviting people to come learn how to create an afternoon tea with petit fours.

The class will teach attendees how to make and decorate assorted petit fours, including mini cakes and fruit tartlets. Recipes will focus on sponge cake, ganache, and homemade jam filling.

The class runs from 1 to 3pm, and is $130 per person. Registration is available online.

Mother’s Day brunch

If you want to eat food rather than make it, the Clarion Hotel in Abbotsford is hosting a Mother’s Day Brunch on Sunday, May 11 from 10am to 3pm.

The bunch includes a complimentary mimosa and gift for mom, as well as live music, door prizes, and entertainment for the kids. The buffet menu includes an omelet station, stuffed french toast, a variety of seafood options, tenderloin medallions, dim sum, and a variety of other food options.

Tickets are $50 for adults, $26 dollars for kids, and free for little ones five and under. The full menu is available online. Reservations are required.

Kilby Mother’s Day

Over at the Kilby Historic Site, visitors can take a look at how motherhood used to be in the Victorian era during a special Mother’s Day event on Sunday, May 11.

The day will include a presentation on how Victorian children were raised, and the café will offer sweet treats and beverages. The rest of the historic site is also open, giving visitors a chance to pet some farm animals, look at an old general store, and get a better sense of the history of Harrison Mills.

Tickets for the event are available at the door, and the historic site is open from 11am to 3pm.