Fort Langley Cranberry Festival 2015

The 20th annual Fort Langley Cranberry Festival invites you celebrate the harvest and history of the cranberry in this historic community on October 10th.

Fort Langley Cranberry Festival

When: Saturday, October 10, 2015 from 10:00am to 5:00pm
Where: Fort Langley National Historic Site (23433 Mavis Ave) and the village of Fort Langley along Glover Road.

In town, pick up some fresh cranberries for your Thanksgiving feast and browse nearly 100 vendors’ wares during Fort Langley’s biggest event of the year, drawing 60,000 people in 2014! Enjoy free entertainment, a pancake breakfast, family activities, and shopping.

At Fort Langley National Historic Site watch a barrel-making demonstration, try cranberry bannock, play cranberry-related games, and more.

You can also head down to the Fort Wine Co to try their cranberry wine. I had the chance to tour their cranberry bogs in 2013 and learn all about this local berry.

About BC Cranberries

• The cranberry is one of only three commercially-grown fruits that are native to North America.
• Traditionally, cranberries were hot trading commodities at Fort Langley (aka the Birthplace of BC) as local First Nations used them for food, dyes, and medicine. They would trade cranberries for HBC blankets, beads, and other items. In fact in 1858, cranberries were actually worth more than salmon.
• Of all the cranberries harvested in Canada every year, about 60% are grown for Massachusetts-based Ocean Spray, to which most BC cranberry growers belong as a cooperative — as a result 90% of BC cranberries are shipped to the USA.
• Approximately 50% of BC’s crop is used to make sweetened dried cranberries, 40% is made into juice, 9% is sold whole frozen and 1% is sold fresh, according to the Government of BC.

Read more in my article for Tourism Vancouver…»