The Abbotsford Tulip Festival features the largest display of tulips in Canada! In 2024 the Fraser Valley spectacle happens at Lakeland Flowers.
The festival used to take place annually at a different venue up until four years ago. It hasn’t happened there since. It was back, though in 2023, at a new farm location and under different ownership. And it was bigger (and likely better) than ever before! With 27 acres of fields, it’s now the largest flower festival in the Lower Mainland!
Last year, the Abbotsford Tulip Festival opened for the season on April 14th. The 2024 festival is set to begin in April as well, although the exact opening date is to be confirmed. For an idea of what the state of the flowers are like towards the end of April, see the video just a little ways below.
For tickets and the event’s official website, visit lakelandflowers.ca.
Note: Later in the year the same farm is home to the Abbotsford Summer Flower Festival.
This article contains the following information about the Abbotsford Tulip Festival:
Location | What is the Tulip Festival? | | Tulip Festival Tips | Other Information
In 2021 the Abbotsford Tulip Festival (also know as BLOOM) moved to the Okanagan. The event didn’t happen in the Lower Mainland in 2020, 2021 or 2022. Fortunately, a relative of the original organizer hosted another tulip festival in Abbotsford in 2023 at a new and larger location.
As many as 90,000 people used to make the trek out to the Fraser Valley to admire the festival in Abbotsford. In 2023 the Abbotsford Tulip Festival featured over 70 different varieties of tulips across 27 acres of land. A similar showing is expected in 2024.
As of mid-April last year, the festival reported that about a quarter of its flowers were getting close to starting to bloom. With cold, wet weather trending over that period, however, full bloom wasn’t expected for a while. We visited the place on March 21st last year, and although still early in the season, the fields were looking impressive.
For a peek at what the flowers may look like in 2024, check out the following video. It was taken on April 21st in 2023. As you’ll see, even early in the season and on a rainy day, the flowers look beautiful! There are usually more flowers in bloom later in the season, but visitors could still go at this early stage to admire the fields of tulips!
Abbotsford Tulip Festival Location
The Abbotsford Tulip Festival used to take place in a field on North Parallel Road. In 2023, however, the festival happened at a farm called Lakeland Flowers, and it happens there again in 2024. The new location is at 3663 Marion Road in Abbotsford.
Lakeland Flowers isn’t far from Exit #99 on the Trans-Canada Highway, which is over an hour’s drive away from Vancouver. The farm offers six months of flower festivals in 2024. The Tulip Festival is the first of the year. It typically runs from mid-April to mid-May. There’s also the Abbotsford Summer Flower Festival with sunflowers, Phacelia, lavender and more to check out from July to September.
Dates for the Abbotsford Tulip Festival in 2023 were April 14th to May 14th. During that time the festival was open every day, except for April 17th to 19th. Exact dates were subject to change, however, due to the weather and growing season conditions. Dates for 2024 are still to be confirmed.
For tickets and full details about the event, visit the Abbotsford Tulip Festival at Lakeland Flowers website.
What is the Tulip Festival?
The Abbotsford Tulip Festival is at a farm with thousands of tulips spread over a 27-acre area. It isn’t a festival like most major festivals in the Lower Mainland, although it does have food trucks and live music on select nights (or at least that was the case in 2023).
The Tulip Festival is really just a nice spot to go for a short stroll and to see gazillions of gorgeous tulips – provided you don’t go before they really start to bloom. It’s a fabulous place to take photos, walk around and enjoy a picnic.
Hours & Admission at the Tulip Festival
The Abbotsford Tulip Festival started up for the season on April 14th in 2023. The festival hoped to remain open until May 14th, weather permitting. The exact end date, however, was to be determined. Daily hours are usually from 6:00 am until 8:00 pm. Admission costs vary depending on when you go, your age, and how you buy your tickets.
The festival was open almost every day between mid-April and mid-May last year. Because of the inclement weather at that time, however, the venue was closed on April 17th to 19th. It was expected to be open most if not all other days of the season.
For full details about the event, visit the Lakeland Flowers website.
Tulip Festival Prices
Below was the price list for the 2023 season. As you’ll notice, tickets ranged from $8 up to $25 and the best prices were available online in advance. We expect the prices to be comparable when the tulip festival returns in 2024. Tickets for this year’s festival are expected to go on sale sometime in April.
(Note: Prices and other details were subject to change.)
- Weekdays: $8 online in advance, $10 online on the day and $12 at the gate
- Weekends: $15 online in advance, $20 online on the day and $25 at the gate
There was also an Early Light Special for folks wanting to visit between 6:00 am and 8:00 am last year. Tickets cost $15 but had to be purchased before 6:00 pm of the previous day. The special rate was available every day of the week except for Saturdays in 2023.
Note: Children ages 3 and under entered for free, and free parking was available on-site at 3663 Marion Road.
Other Pricing Information
In addition to there being flowers to see, there were also flowers to purchase in 2023. A bunch of 10 stems cost around $5. This was comparable to what you’d pay at a store but for flowers that couldn’t be fresher. Plus, if you bought four bunches at the festival, you got a fifth bunch for free.
Tulip Festival Tips
Here are some suggestions on how to make your trip to the Abbotsford Tulip Festival as good as possible.
TIP #1: Go on a sunny day.
TIP #2: If going within a few days of rain, wear rubber boots! The grounds can get pretty mucky.
TIP #3: In a typical year, go between the second and last week of April when the flowers are at their peak.
TIP #4: Try to go on a weekday if possible. Weekends are convenient, but if it’s a sunny day you’ll find the millions of flowers being admired by an equal number of people!
TIP #5: Take a picnic and your camera. Also, to get your money’s worth, plan to stay a while. Dogs on leash are also welcome.
TIP #6: Check the Field Report to see the status of the flowers before going. This will give you an idea of the state of the season and how much of the fields are actually in bloom on the day of your visit.
Great places to visit while in the Fraser Valley include the Greater Vancouver Zoo if you like animals and/or are with children. Other interesting places in the region include Harrison Hot Springs, which is beautiful any time of the year, and the Fort Langley historic site.
Also in the Fraser Valley, for children there is Abbotsford Farm in Abbotsford and for adults the Wineries and Wine Tours in Langley. And finally, on Saturdays when it’s running, make sure to check out the Farm and Country Marketin Abbotsford.
Other Information
For more information about the festival itself, check out the official Abbotsford Tulip Festival website.
To learn about a similar event that takes place at the same location in the summer, see our article about the Abbotsford Summer Flower Festival.
For more ideas on things to do, check out the Fraser Valley information page and/or Metro Vancouver’s April Calendar.
