The Taste of Abbotsford Fall Food Festival is a ten day celebration of Abbotsford’s agriculture and culinary scene. The festival kicks off with a night market followed by a week of unique farm experiences, seasonal bites, spirit, cider, and beer releases, a guided Circle Farm Tour, a foraging workshop, the art and wine walk in Historic Downtown Abbotsford, grape stomping, and more.
Taste of Abbotsford Fall Food Festival
The September 15th evening Night Market will be held at Jubilee Park in Historic Downtown Abbotsford bringing live music from local musicians, artisan shopping, and fall flavours from Abbotsford’s makers including farmers, chefs, and winery, brewery and cidery owners. More events include:
Taste of Abby Guided Circle Farm Tour Saturday, September 16th from 10:30am to 4:00pm
19th annual Arty Awards Sunday, September 17th from 2:00pm to 5:00pm
Fraser Valley Artisans Food Hub Showcase Monday, September 18th from 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Pickleball and Pints Tuesday, September 19th from 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Grape Stomping at Singletree Winery Wednesday, September 20th from 12:00pm to 5:00pm
Abbotsford Farm & Country Market Saturdays, September 16th & 23rd 2023
HarvestFest Thursday, September 21st from 4:00pm to 8:00pm
Downtown Abbotsford Art & Wine Walk Thursday, September 21st from 4:00pm to 8:00pm
Foraging Workshop Saturday, September 23rd from 5:00pm to 8:00pm
Sponsored by the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce, the week ends with the Food and Farm Excellence Awards, recognizing Abbotsford’s best culinary talents and agricultural producers with awards presented at Eco Dairy on September 24th.
Want to find the best of the season, locally? Shop the Taste of Abby shelf at these locations: Abbotsford Downtown Business Association; Fruiticana; Howard Wongs Farm; Kin’s Farm Market; Lepp’s Daily Market; Maan Farms; Nature’s Pickin’s; Yes Chef.
Healthy Food Systems
The healthy food systems video series will run throughout Taste of Abby. Facilitated by Aaron Pete, host of the Bigger Than Me podcast, four people were chosen to discuss sustainable and heathy food systems in three-to-five-minute videos.
Co-owner and Chef, Jeff Massey, of Restaurant 62 will speak to collaborating with local food growers, Amir Maan from Maan Farms will be discussing ag tech integration and vertical strawberry farming, Paul Sweeting, owner of Raven’s Brewing will share his Indigenous-owned business plans, and MLA Pam Alexis, the Minister of of Agriculture, will talk about the government’s efforts to enable and protect healthy food systems.
Follow the Taste of Abby Fall Food Festival on Facebook for updates.
The 8th Annual Monsoon Festival of the Performing Arts is back bigger and better than ever! Presented by theSouth Asian Arts Society the festival attracts generations of families and friends who gather each year to celebrate South Asian culture through diverse and exciting programming.
Monsoon Festival of the Arts
The welcoming of the captivating and spiritual force of the monsoon in India dates back thousands of years. The heavy monsoon rains take over the country on an annual basis, but amidst the damage and destruction, the monsoon season is also filled with celebration, including dance, music, theatre, film and festivals. Vancouver is also known for its heavy rainfall. With the intersection of these two natural phenomena, Monsoon Festival’s goal each year is to celebrate the monsoon in the Lower Mainland by welcoming the storm.
Enjoy a month filled with theatre, music and dance performances, thought-provoking discussions, a marketplace of visual art, dance classes, development workshops and more. Nurture the creative power within the community by attending our events, learning more about artists’ processes, and experiencing creative practices, as we invest in and support the next generation of aspiring local artists.
Event Lineup
Opening Night Reception The Clutch Historic Theatre, 1895 Venables St, Vancouver August 17, 2023 from 7:00pm – 11:30pm Celebrate the opening of Monsoon Festival, including sneak peeks of the performances being presented, followed by an opportunity to mix n mingle with food & drinks. Tickets available for purchase online »
Chai with T: Live Podcast Recording Surrey Arts Centre Studio Theater, 13750 88 Ave, Surrey August 19, 2023 from 7:00pm – 9:00pm Be a guest in the audience for a live recording of the popular podcast, Chai with T, hosted by Tarannum Thind. With guest Amreen Gill (aka Bhangralicious) and Swarndeep Gill. Tickets available for purchase online »
Sunday Funday Bahangra Dance Lesson (16+) KPU Conference Centre (Cedar 1205), 12666 72 Ave, Surrey August 20, 2023 from 10:00am – 11:30am Make your Sunday more fun and get your week started right by learning some Bhangra dance moves with Raja Singh, aka Bhangre Da Raja. Register online »
Sunday Funday Semi-Classical Dance Lesson KPU Conference Centre (Cedar 1205), 12666 72 Ave, Surrey August 20, 2023 from 11:30am – 1:00pm Make your Sunday more fun and get your week started right by learning some Semi-Classical Kathak dance moves with Krystal Kiran. Register online »
Momentum The Clutch Founders Lounge, 1895 Venables St, Vancouver August 20, 2023 from 5:00pm – 7:00pm Join and listen to excerpts of three published plays from three groups of South Asian artists. Chai/Snacks and conversation to follow the readings. Hosted by Adele Noronha. Tickets available for purchase online »
Workshop Wednesday Progress Lab, 1422 William St, Vancouver August 23, 2023 from 5:30pm – 7:30pm This workshop uses improv and in-class exercises to explore the question: What makes dialogue interesting? Participants will have a chance to write new scenes or apply tools to existing works-in-progress. Register online »
Is Democracy Dead: An Interactive Theatrical Game Progress Lab, 1422 William St, Vancouver August 26, 2023 from 7:00pm – 9:00pm Why be an audience member when you can be a participant? Part interactive game, part social discussion, part theatrical performance, Is Democracy Dead? is a workshop that invites you to care and connect. Tickets available for purchase online »
Punjabi Market LIVE Punjabi Market (main stage at corner of Main St. & 49th Ave.) August 27, 2023 from 12:00pm – 6:00pm An outdoor street celebration in Vancouver’s historic Punjabi Market featuring dance, music, poetry, cuisine, family activities, and more! In partnership with the Punjabi Market Collective. Free admission.
PNE Summer Nights Concerts start this weekend with a huge lineup of Canadian acts and international superstars at the PNE Amphitheatre August 19 to September 4, 2023.
Concerts at the PNE This Summer
The concerts will run every evening the Fair is open, starting on Saturday August 19th at the Chevrolet Stage in the PNE Amphitheatre.
Saturday, August 19, 2023 – TLC Sunday, August 20, 2023 – Boyz II Men Tuesday, August 22, 2023 – Tenille Townes Wednesday, August 23, 2023 – Boney M ft. Maizie Williams Thursday, August 24, 20234 – Yung Gravy & bbno$ Friday, August 25, 2023 – Billy Talent Saturday, August 26, 2023 – AQUA Sunday, August 27, 2023 – Billy Idol Tuesday, August 29, 2023 – Pink Martini ft. China Forbes Wednesday, August 30, 2023 – Doug and the Slugs with the VSO Thursday, August 31, 2023 – Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo Friday, September 1, 2023 – Jason Derulo Saturday, September 2, 2023 – Stars of Drag Sunday, September 3, 2023 – Walk off the Earth Monday, September 4, 2023 – Blue Rodeo: 30 Years In July
All concert goers will need a Fair Gate Pass as well as a paid concert ticket. There will be a combination of reserved seats for superfans and standing room only floor tickets. Ticket prices will start at $20 and are on sale via TicketLeader.
More Entertainment and Attractions
Be part of The Big Rockout, enjoy the Market, Canoe Cultures, Agriculture at the Fair, nightly fireworks, duelling pianos, the SuperDogs, and a legendary drag show round out the entertainment.
About the PNE
Since 1910, millions of guests have enjoyed shows, exhibits, sporting events, amusement rides, concerts, cultural activities and, of course, the annual summer Fair at the PNE.
Today, the PNE is the largest employer of youth in British Columbia, the longest running and best attended annual ticketed event in BC and the site of hundreds of famous events – from a live performance from the Beatles to the historic Miracle Mile.
Signalling the finale of summer in Vancouver, the PNE is opening up this weekend with a jam packed schedule of entertainment and events. Also this weekend, Miss604 is proud to sponsor Summer at Burnaby Village, Burnaby Summer Stages (Friday), and Burnaby Summer Cinema (Friday). Find these events and many more things to do in Vancouver this weekend listed below:
Meet Me in Gastown is a free community event that includes street performers, local business activations, and a finale show by the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra to close out a month of summer fun in the city.
Free Gastown Street Party
When: Thursday, August 31 from 3:00pm to 7:00pm
Where: Water Street will be partially closed to traffic from Abbott to Carrall St. There will be stages at Maple Tree Square and Abbott.
The afternoon will kick off with performances from Emmett Jerome and Hayley Wallis at the Maple Tree Square Stage. Local artists including Arega Grigoryan, Katherine Cross, Olivia Di Liberto, and Paige Jung will be stationed on the streets, captivating crowds with live art demonstrations. Additional musical acts including Alannah Clark, Katie Stewart, and Lee Nichols, can be found throughout Gastown.
Along Water Street, visitors can shop local businesses and engage in activations, including a free floral bouquet station. Picnic tables will be set up along the street for attendees to enjoy takeout from neighbouring businesses, along with Monarca and Guilt & Co.’s cocktail patio extension on Carrall Alley.
Greta Bar will have a booth along Water Street with arcade games, Herschel will have a bean bag toss for a chance to win prizes, Pourhouse will have all day Happy Hour, MAKE will offer 15% off during the event, and much more!
Restaurants such as Local Public Eatery, MeeT in Gastown, Twisted Fork, L’Abbattoir, and The Greek will be lively spots for guests to dine, with Portside hosting an oyster shucking competition. The grand finale of the evening will be a performance from the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra.
If you’re taking transit and walking over from Waterfront Station, stop by Deville Coffee (333 Seymour, located directly across from the skytrain station) to pick up a Meet Me in Gastowntote bag with a purchase (while supplies last) and enjoy the dynamic roving band, East Van Horns.
Hosted by Low Tide Properties in collaboration with the Gastown Business Improvement Society, PCIDevelopments, Reliance Properties, and The Salient Group.