Abbotsford Tulip Festival is Moving to the North Okanagan
byThis morning the organizers of the Bloom Abbotsford Tulip Festival announced that after four years of hosting one of the Fraser Valley’s largest and most colourful outdoor events, they plan to eventually rebloom in the North Okanagan.
Abbotsford Tulip Festival is Moving to the North Okanagan
“It’s a bittersweet feeling to say goodbye to the incredible community that supported our vision for the last few years but we’re hopeful for the future of the event in our new community in the Northern Okanagan,” said Alexis Szarek, Founder of Bloom, The Abbotsford Tulip Festival. “We want to thank all of our dedicated staff and volunteers who greatly contributed to our success in Abbotsford, as well as the many community stakeholders who helped us along the way.”
Bloom, The Abbotsford Tulip Festival held their first event in the spring of 2016 with the goal of bringing four generations of Szarek’s family’s passion for growing tulips to a broader audience.
The outdoor festival attracted up to 100,000 visitors each year over six weeks from April to May who gathered to marvel at the 2.5 million rainbow coloured tulips in full bloom. The event employed over dozens of staff and volunteers every year, and had a significant impact on the local economy while boosting tourism and putting Abbotsford on a global stage for its reputation as an agritourism destination.
Several recent factors impacted the decision to permanently close the Abbotsford Tulip Festival, including the forced cancellation of the 2020 event last April due to the pandemic, as well as the uncertainty of the 2021 season. In addition, earlier this year, the land where the festival had been held for four consecutive years was sold to new owners further compromising the future of the event. Szarek and her growing family have since relocated to Armstrong where she and her husband, Marc hope to re-imagine Bloom for the North Okanagan community.
