These tulip festivals near Vancouver, in the Fraser Valley and Washington State, will have hundreds of acres of beautiful blooms this spring for your enjoyment – and photo ops.
Tulip Festival Miss604 – Rebecca Bollwitt
Tulip Festivals Near Vancouver
Botanica Tulip Festival (41310 Yale Road, Chilliwack) Tentatively April 12th Each spring the farm comes alive with a vibrant celebration of the season. Explore millions of flowers at Botanica located in Chilliwack. Tickets and dates for the festival will be finalized once the flowers are ready to bloom. Stay updated via the Botanica Instagram account for information on dates, tickets, and more exciting surprises this season.
Lakeland Tulip Festival (3663 Marion Road, Abbotsford) Tentatively April 6th Take part in a time-honoured Dutch tradition at Lakeland Tulip Festival. Spanning 27 acres in Abbotsford, you will have the opportunity to walk among over 70 variations of tulips in different colours, shapes, and sizes. Tickets will be available for purchase online in April, every admission includes a 5-stem bunch of sunflowers to take home from the u-pick field. Lakeland Flowers also offers a Lakeland Season Pass that includes perks and access to the Summer Flower Festival later in the year. Stay up to date with the field report by following Lakeland Flowers on Instagram and Facebook.
Harrison Tulip Festival (5039 Lougheed Highway, Agassiz) Tentatively April 6th The colourful spring celebration at the Harrison Tulip Festival located in Agassiz features 35 acres with 10 million tulips, double daffodil, and hyacinth bulbs to explore. Stop by the show garden that boasts an impressive showcase of mature fruit and nut trees, flowering shrubs and grassy paths brightened by thousands of tulips, hyacinths, and fritillaria. Capture portraits at any of the available photo ops around the festival including vintage bicycles, swing sets, raised platforms, and so much more. Food trucks will be onsite daily and the farm store will also be open will souvenirs, cut and potted flowers, and refreshments for purchase. Follow the Harrison Tulip Festival Facebook for updates on tickets and opening dates.
Tulip Festival Miss604 – Rebecca Bollwitt
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival(Various locations and gardens Washington, USA) Open April 1 to April 30, 2024 Located just over the border, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is designed as a driving or biking tour as the tulips are generally grown far apart in a 15-mile triangle. A full interactive map of the festival locations and special events is available online. The festival will run from April 1 to 30, 2024 with events but the tulip blooms are dependent on nature; stay informed with the Bloom Status online. While the festival itself is free, 4 different gardens do require tickets and can be purchased online or onsite.
Megaphone Magazine, a street paper in Vancouver that reports on social justice, culture, politics, and arts, is hosting its spring fundraising campaign. The magazine, which features stories of underrepresented and marginalized communities, gives people experiencing housing or job insecurity an accessible way to earn an income.
Megaphone provides low-barrier work opportunities through magazine writing, reporting, and vending. Each vendor buys the paper for 75 cents and sells it for $2 (plus tips). Megaphone is an autonomous way for those facing barriers to traditional employment to make an income.
Some of my stories/columns in Megaphone, I have been a columnist since 2021
Last year, Megaphone launched an initiative called The Shift, which is dedicated to making its newsroom more inclusive by training aspiring journalists from the communities they serve. It’s part of a year-long project in partnership with the University of British Columbia Learning Exchange, that will also develop journalism best practices for reporting on marginalized communities.
The spring campaign will support Megaphone vendors, writers and peers facing poverty, inadequate housing, substance use and other marginalizing barriers. It will also support programs and opportunities such as creative writing workshops, and the annual Voices of the Street literary anthology.
Support Megaphone Magazine
At the centre of Megaphone’s heart is it’s vendor program. Cold-snaps and heat-domes, inclement weather, extreme heat and cold can make vending and production a tall task. Your donation today will help vendors throughout the year, help Megaphone provide them with necessary wellness supplies and proper vendor equipment, as well as other accessible forms of income generation.
If you’ve followed Megaphone for a while, you’re probably familiar with Peter Thompson, who sells at 4th and Vine in Vancouver. We asked Peter, who’s been with Megaphone since 2007, how the weather has impacted sales. He had this to say:
“I used to go out for hours at a time, not always to make money but to see all the familiar faces. When the weather gets severe, there’s no shade, I have to cut it short. I’ve got bad arthritis, and it flares in the cold. Sometimes the busses don’t run and I can’t leave my house.”
All of this within the past 5 years, he says.
Through it’s Spring Campaign Megaphone is adapting and trying to support vendors through these sudden and unpredictable climate-crisis related weather changes. Donating to Megaphone’s Spring Campaign will help accomplish that.
$35 covers the cost of writing supplies for Megaphone participants
$40 pays for sun-protection equipment for one vendor
$70 pays for a new Megaphone coat for one vendor
$100 pays for missed sales due to weather for two vendors
$100 supports one Megaphone storyteller to copy edit Megaphone magazine before it goes to press
$250 pays for a vendor to facilitate a workshop and pay attendees in lieu of sales
$250 pays three Megaphone writers for their contributions of poetry and prose to Megaphone publications
$350 covers half the cost of running a monthly peer-editorial board meeting with 10-15 Megaphone storytellers
$500 goes towards a rainy-day fund to supply vendors with transportation during inclement weather
Your support will go a long way! Hope in Shadows is a charitable organization creating positive social change for people and communities impacted by poverty and marginalization. Their projects empower, educate, and provide training to low-income people in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and beyond. Hope in Shadows’ flagship project is the annual Hope in Shadows photography contest and calendar. Hope in Shadows also works with Megaphone Magazine to do this charitable work.
Prepare to be amazed by a lineup of enchanting performances, captivating displays, and mystical experiences at The Magic Festival in New Westminster from March 25 to 30, 2024.
The Magic Festival in New Westminster invites attendees of all ages to embark on a journey into the extraordinary world of illusion, mystery, and spectacle. The Festival will showcase a diverse range of talents and styles, ensuring each performance is a unique and unforgettable experience. Audiences can expect to be amazed by mind-bending illusions, mesmerizing card tricks, and feats of magic that defy explanation.
The line up includes Shawn Farquhar (who’s fooled Penn & Teller, twice!) presenting 52 & You at the Hidden Wonders showroom and a unique collection of talented magicians at the Cabaret of Wonders. Catch Magic, Mystery and Dinnerwith Jay Alexander at Stefanos Lounge & Restaurant, An Evening of Magic, and The Children’s Magician of the Year Competition with even more events to be announced. From seasoned magic enthusiasts, to curious newcomers, there’s something for everyone at this extraordinary celebration of the impossible.
The Magic Festival was founded with the mission of promoting and preserving the rich tradition of magic, and it aims to inspire wonder, ignite imaginations, and create unforgettable memories for the audience.
There’s plenty of free * family-friendly entertainment for kids around Vancouver this Spring Break. Spend time in a museum learning about local history, or outside surrounded by trees and other plants as you take in the splendour of the spring season.
Free Spring Break Activities Around Vancouver
Vancouver Public Library | Various VPL Locations March 16 to 30, 2024 at varying times Kids and teens can take part in a variety of free programs and activities at various Vancouver Public Library locations. Program and events include Coding for Kids, Teen Book Swap, Family Movie days, Lego Building, and so much more.
Steveston Tram | 4111 Moncton Street, Richmond March 15 to 31, 2024 from 10:00am to 4:00pm Young visitors can pick up a scavenger hunt to explore the 112 year old Tram Car at the Steveston Tram. Look for an additional mystery item that will move positions around the building daily. Submit your suggestion for the name for the most popular tram passenger in the “Name our Passenger Pig” Contest. The winning submission will be selected and revealed in April.
Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site | 5180 Westwater Drive, Richmond March 15 to March 31, 2024 from 10:00am to 4:00pm Tuesdays to Sundays Discover the fascinating world of boat building and innovation as you navigate through the Seine Net Loft building with a new scavenger hunt at Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site.
Burnaby Village Museum Photo Submitted
Burnaby Village Museum | 6501 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby March 18 to March 28, 2024 open daily from 11:00am to 4:30pm Explore how homes and businesses used to look in the 10-acre open-air site of Burnaby Village Museum. See how different cultures help shape our communities and learn from Indigenous Educators. Special activities feature a Coast Salish seed ball workshop and steam demos while daily events include a scavenger hunt, coffee grinding, and more.
Museum of Surrey | 17710 56A Avenue, Surrey March 19, 2024 from 10:00am to 1:00pm Build whatever you can imagine at the Museum with building blocks, bricks and more! Tour the “Everything is Awesome” exhibit, make a craft and complete a themed scavenger hunt at the Museum of Surrey.
Surrey Public Library | Various Surrey Public Library locations March 18 to 30, 2024 at varying times Register for any free program or activity at the Surrey Public Library for kids and teens. Events include presentations from the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Family Movie days, an Easter Special, Family Crafting, Murder Mystery afternoon for teens, and more at participating library locations.
Sea to Sky Gondola |36800 BC-99, Squamish (Deal) March 11 to 28, 2024 from 9:00am to 5:00pm (last ride down) daily Kids age 12 and under ride free during Spring Break with the purchase of an adult or senior day ticket. Explore the summit, cross the suspension bridge, and look out at various viewing points at the Sea to Sky Gondola.
*These activities may have added costs or add-on activities available for a fee. Prices reflect the public admission rates online as of March 11, 2024. While we stay up the date with the latest news from these wonderful local attractions and post the most accurate information available, visitors should always adhere to the admission prices posted on-site and online for these venues.
Hop on by for Easter at Maan Farms during their Spring at the Farmcelebration. The egg-stravaganza includes meeting baby farm animals, an adult boozy egg hunt, and a berry pancake breakfast with the Easter Bunny.
Easter at Maan Farms – BAE Days
Date: March 29 to 31, 2024
Location: Maan Farms at 790 McKenzie Rd (Abbotsford)
Tickets: Available for purchase online as general admission, BAE Days VIP, or BAE Days Treat Pass
Spring at Maan Farms brings Baby Animal Easter Days (BAE Days) back, bringing bunnies, ducklings, chicks, calves, goats, lambs, and pigs to the farm. This event features an education activity booklet to complete alongside egg-collecting activities. Guests are invited to try their luck at searching for the golden egg as there are prizes to be won and redeemed. Everyone is invited to explore the Barnyard Adventureland including the zipline, pedal go karts, tractor field, jumping pillows, slides, and playground. And of course, the Easter Bunny will be available for photos.
Back by popular demand, the Egg-Cellent Ice Cream – handmade milk chocolate egg filled with soft serve and topped with caramel, crushed mini eggs, and a wafer straw – will be avalible for purchase in addition to egg nests, lemon mini donuts, and the new Egg-Stravagent Hot Chocolate.
VIP passes are available for purchase and include animal feed, mini donuts, a glass of Maan Farms Estate Winery’s berry wine or lemonade, chocolate, and a comback pass.
Access to BAE Days activities require its own admission ticket purchase
Every morning during BAE Days, guests are able to have some exclusive time with the Easter Bunny during Breakfast with the Easter Bunny from 9:00am to 10:30am. The menu consists of strawberry and whip cream topped pancakes, sausages, and a hot or cold beverage. After breakfast, the Easter Bunny will head over to the Barnyard for BAE Days.
Ticket includes appetizers, dinner, 1 glass of wine or beer
The retro Bunnies & Booze egg hunt returns on March 30. This 2000’s themed event will have guests using their flashlights to find hidden eggs in the early evening will the challenge of uncovering the golden egg to win the grande prize. The remainder of the evening includes an appearance from the Easter Bunny, lots of fun games, and some of Mama Maan’s signature dishes. The evening will begin with drinks and food during Hoppy Hour including local beer and Maan Farms Estate Winery award-winning berry wine, as well as a speciality Easter cocktail available for purchase. Dinner consists of your choice of Butter Chicken Naan Tacos, Chickpea Curry, and Butter Chicken or Chickpea Curry Poutine.
