Join us to celebrate Canada Day on July 1, 2024. Our community celebration begins with a parade along South Fraser Way, a Family Festival at Abbotsford Exhibition Park with family-friendly activities, entertainment, multi-cultural themed food trucks, community showcase, and ends with a fireworks celebration!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Parade

11:00 AM Parade Start

The Canada Day Parade starts at 11:00 AM on July 1, 2024 and proceeds down South Fraser Way from Bourquin Crescent, down Trethewey Street, and ends at W.J. Mouat Secondary School on Mouat Drive.

Vote in the People’s Choice Award for your favourite Canada Day Parade Float HEREHERE!

Road Closures:
• Road closures will begin at 6:00 am in the staging area.
• All other roads noted on the parade map will be closed to traffic
from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm.
• Due to the significant crowds and street closures, motorists are
encouraged an alternate route during these times.

Family Festival

1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Abbotsford Exhibition Park

The Canada Day Family Festival starts at 1:00 PM at Rotary Stadium and will include an Activity Zone, Mini Car Show, and Mini Golf. Click the arrow below for more information about the evening.

  • Abbotsford Agrifair Zone: The Abbotsford Agrifair zone features a “mini-agrifair” complete with tractor wagon rides, demo derby car, colouring contest, Agrifair mascot Minnie Moo and more to tease your appetite for “the best little country fair!” Enter to WIN 4 weekend wristbands to the Fair happening Aug 2-4th.
  • Abbotsford Canucks Zone: Proud to call this team our own, The Abbotsford Canucks are passionate about hockey, their fans and representing the Fraser Valley. Come visit the Canucks zone to test your skills while you get excited about great hockey right here in Abby!
  • Abbotsford Hospice Car Show: Take a sneak peak of a few classic cars that will be at the Abbotsford Hospice Society’s annual Horsepower for Hospice Show & Shine. This family friendly event takes place Sunday, August 18 in Downtown Abbotsford.
  • BC Hydro Zone: Come and join us at the BC Hydro Zone to learn more about electric vehicles and energy saving programs. Don’t miss the chance to see our Ford F-150 Lightning!
  • Canucks Autism Network: Welcome to Canada Day! Canucks Autism Network is here with a Sensory Friendly Tent! Give them a visit If you need a quiet space or somewhere to take a break from the action. There will also be Sensory Resource Kits, including noise-cancelling headphones and sensory toys, available at both CAN activations.
  • Culture Corner: Stop by the City of Abbotsford’s Culture Corner to participate in fun, interactive art making activities for the whole family, led by local artists.
  • Go Play Outside Zone: Join us in celebrating the joy of recreation in the outdoors with the Go Play Outside Team, as we unite our community through an exciting array of organized games, activities, and crafts.
  • Hydration Station: Please visit the City of Abbotsford’s Hydration Station to keep you hydrated as you enjoy all the activities of the afternoon!
  • Sand Zone: It’s back again and always a lot of messy fun! Use your handy construction tools to create your own sandcastles and play with the many sand toys!  Open until 8:00 PM.
  • Sport Abbotsford’s “Play What!?” Zone: Play What!? is an initiative encouraging Abbotsford residents to try different sports in an effort to find some which fit the needs, wants, and budget  of their athletes.
  • The Dog Zone: The Dogwood Pacesetters Canine Sports Club is dedicated to promoting canine sports in the Lower Mainland. Our members come from every facet of society and our personalities range from the most avid competitor to the recreational dog enthusiast. DWP is active in the community holding demonstrations, sanctioned events and supporting canine related charities. Come over and see our show, enjoy the entertainment, and see what activities you could be doing with your dog!
    • Show Times: 1-1:45 PM, 2:30-3:15 PM, and 4-4:45 PM
  • The Reach Zone: Join us at The Reach Gallery Museum’s activity tent and create your own limited-edition print using our hydraulic bottle jack printmaking press! Learn about upcoming summer camps, programs and events, and find out how you can get involved in supporting arts, history and culture in Abbotsford!
  • The Read. Learn. Play Zone: Celebrate summer at your Abbotsford Libraries! Register for the Summer Reading Club – all ages can participate. Relax in the shade of our tent and make a craft or enjoy a book. FVRL is open 24/7 at www.fvrl.ca. Click on Events to find out what is happening at your local library.  FVRL has proudly served Abbotsford residents since 1930.
  • Fraserway RV Selfie Station: Drop by to the Fraserway RV Selfie Station! Don’t miss out on capturing the excitement at this designated Canadiana-themed photo area.
  • Twisters Gymnastics Zone: Come try out gymnastics with the whole family. This is a non-structured drop in for ALL ages. Parent supervision is required. See you there!
  • Unitech Slide Zone: Come and join us for some super soaked, slippery, wet-tastic fun at the Slide Zone! Wet-tastic FUN super soaker slide brought to you by Unitech Construction Management Ltd.
  • Vancouver FC Zone: Test your soccer skills, win prizes and learn more about Canada’s newest Pro Soccer Team, Vancouver Football Club.

Wondering where to park for the Abbotsford Canada Day Family Festival at Abbotsford Exhibition Park? Check out this helpful video on suggested parking lots nearby!

  • Abbotsford Exhibition Park, Gate 1 | 32470 Haida Drive | ~ 5 Min Walk
  • Abbotsford Exhibition Park, Gate 2 | 32470 Haida Drive | ~ 8 Min Walk
  • Trinity Christian Reformed Church | 3215 Trethewey Street | ~ 8 Min Walk
  • Bethel Community Church | 3260 Gladwin Road | ~ 15 Min Walk
  • Gladwin Heights United Church | 3474 Gladwin Road | ~ 19 Min Walk
  • Matsqui Recreation Centre | 3106 Clearbrook Road | ~ 20 Min Walk
  • The Reach Gallery Museum | 32388 Veterans Road | ~ 20 Min Walk
  • Maranatha Baptist Church | 3580 Clearbrook Road | ~ 21 Min Walk
  • Emmanuel Mennonite Church | 3471 Clearbrook Road | ~ 22 Min Walk

Food Truck Festival

1:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Abbotsford Exhibition Park

Coordinated by the Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival, make sure to swing by Rotary Stadium for a delicious selection of multi-cultural themed food trucks.

  • Big Chip – Fries & Poutine
  • Chappy’s Cotton Candy
  • Chappy’s Lemonade
  • Fusion Icy – Lemonade & Bubble Tea
  • Golden Bannock
  • Little Devils Woodfire Pizza
  • Little Ooties Mini Donuts
  • Mo Bacon
  • Mom’s Grilled Cheese
  • Mr. Rainbow
  • Rocky Point Ice Cream
  • Shawarmatime
  • Street Dogs

Main Stage

1:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Abbotsford Exhibition Park

The Canada Day Main Stage, programmed by the Abbotsford Arts Council, will showcase performances by local musicians, dancers, and cultural programming. Check out the line up below!

Darryl moved to Langley from Calgary some 40 years ago back when Langley was a quiet little farm town. His family roots meander all the way back to Saskatchewan. He has studied engineering and philosophy, been a truck driver, a dishwasher a firefighter and many other things. For 25 years he worked with Indigenous communities on economic, educational and environmental issues focused on reconciliation.

Darryl is primarily self taught on the guitar and banjo and his music is a ragtag collection of songs about boats, trains, coffee, (and some women too), old cowboys, and some foot stomping guitar and banjo instrumentals. Some songs are originals, other are covers. He’ll get that banjo ringing, fingerpick a tune or two by J J Cale or Doc Watson, and then flat-pick some bluegrass tunes on his trusty old six string. He calls his music “Highbrow Hillbilly”.

Velavox is an award winning alternative pop duo from BC. Made up of Nicole Gibson (Vocals) and Chris Kelly (Vocals, Synths, Electric Guitar).

The duo has collaborated with a series of artists and producers. Releasing tracks that led to them to be featured on Spotify’s: New Music Friday, Mint Canada, Tantra and Dance Fresh Finds playlists. The duo was also selected in the first round of artists for the RBCXMusic First Up program and masterclass, as well as being selected to be part of the Canadian Music Incubator (2021) and landing 2 showcases at Canadian music week (2021).

In 2023 the duo played at festivals across BC including: REVY Live! Festival (Revelstoke), Parks Alive Festival (Kelowna) and Name it Yourself Festival (Squamish).

Their work speaks to personal themes in their life including mental health struggles and learning to embrace all parts of yourself and your art.

Sam Chimes is a multi-talented musician. Chimes’ music has been influenced from his years moving around the world. He was Born in Africa, lived in Brunei, South East Asia, and he now resides in Canada. With his jazzy, soulful vibes, he uses a looper and a microkorg synthesizer to create instrumentals on the spot, layers his voice, and performs for his audience. He recently came back from his second world tour, performing at showcases in Australia, and busking in between. Sam Chimes will leave you mesmerized and inspired.

Chimes has been street performing since January, 2018. He has done over 300 shows since, and over 500 hours of performance time at over 7 countries.

His focused and consistent work ethic has afforded him live gigs at The Red Room (Vancouver), Celebrities Nightclub (Vancouver), Benchmark bar and grill (Vancouver), Espresso Bonsai (Australia), and Le Jip’s (Paris) just to name a few venues.

Chimes engages audiences of a wide variety during his live sets. At the right moment, he may break away from his regular set list and have some fun with his listeners by creating brand new instrumentals based on the words of inspiration he gets from his audience as he works. His jazz piano improvisations gain his seasoned listeners’ approval. His mix of soulful singing and rap verses captures the attention of the middle aged, and the energy and passion he brings to every set affects even the young ones in the strollers. Sam Chimes is careful to perform family friendly songs that hold messages that are true to him and that connects with the audiences’ experiences.

Since 2008, “Lounge Hounds” have been playing their version of high energy influenced rock and roll/rockabilly/classic rock throughout the Lower Mainland.

Suburban Swing has been providing BC with great dancers and amazing entertainment for 26 years!

Ben Cottrill is a songwriter & musician, known for his eclectic Americana-Soul style. Shaped by a decade of performing on streets and stages across Canada, he’s best known for his dynamic live approach on the piano, blending elements of Blues, Rock & Gospel styles into his many performances.

Cottrill was mentored by Bryan Adams on CTV’s music series “The Launch”, and has gone on to play over 500 live shows across Canada, opening for Canadian acts like Bedouin Soundclash and Jon & Roy. In recent years, Cottrill was named the 2023 Roots Artist and 2021 Folk Artist of the Year from the Fraser Valley Music Awards.

Learning Star Arts Academy’s purpose is to develop life skills and provide the youth with opportunities to express themselves through Punjabi Folk Dance, in a fun and positive environment. We teach Kids: Gidha, Addi Dance, and Bhangra; Ladies: Bhangra and Punjabi Dance.

Raised among the green pastures of BC’s Fraser Valley, Jenny Banai now lives and works in busy East Vancouver. This contrast is reflected in her work; songs which set precise, homespun lyrics against vibrant, textured musical backdrops. If you ever see her perform, you may first be taken by her sheer singing
ability. Globe and Mail described her as “the fictitious love child of Feist and Smokey Robinson,” while Exclaim called her “one of the most gifted vocalists on the scene today.” Of all the press Banai has received over the years, Beatroute may have described her best, as: “charismatic yet somehow equally coy…entirely her own in the singer-songwriter sphere.”

With two full length albums to her name—flowering head (2015) and couchwalker (2020)—Banai and her collaborators continue to live and create art in slow-motion, peaceful within the fast-paced matrix, carving out collections of songs in like fashion. New music is on its way, and peers call it “ephemeral”—a word which, like Banai’s music, eludes concrete definition. Lyrics float and hover like cursive writing, laden with emotion, in a style described as “Sarah McLachlan meets Portishead” or, as the Vancouver Sun put it—“Radiohead meets Montreal art rock,” (Vancouver Sun). However you slice it, Jenny Banai is hard to pin down. She writes about what it feels like to dwell in a liminal place; about the hard conversations and silences between people that make connection sticky and slippery all at the same time. We’re all trying to make sense of things and though it might always remain partially mysterious, she’s trying her hand at saying the things that just beg to be said.

DJ Hark, proudly born and raised in Abbotsford, has been making significant strides in the music industry with his original hits and exclusive remixes. DJ Hark has become one of the most sought-after open format wedding and festival DJs in North America, gracing numerous high-profile events with his dynamic performances.

Shamir Virgo is a Vancouver-based independent artist, songwriter and musician. He makes Pop R&B-inspired music, his influences include the likes of Pink $wests, Daniel Caesar, Leon Thomas and Music Soulchild. He has worked with many Vancouver locals and aspires to create connections with other artists and musicians who strive to upkeep musical integrity. Shamir wants his music to reach people who can relate and want to share his music with all who are willing to listen.

Sadé Awele, the Nigerian-born musical visionary in R&B and afro-pop / afro-soul, draws deeply from her heritage, to merge bold innovative sounds with influences from Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Beyoncé, and Lauryn Hill. The 2020 AFAM Female Artist of the Year, Awele, named one of “Top 100 Black Women to Watch in 2023” by CIBWE, is a “rising soulstress” per Wonderland magazine.

Her talents extend to film, with “Intuition” gaining acclaim at festivals like Atlanta, Paris, and Toronto. The single reached #9 on Canadian online R&B radio charts. Awele’s international presence solidified through a successful European tour, and she’s preparing for a Canadian tour to launch her upcoming EP. Having shared stages with Juno winner Piere Kwenders and Grammy winner Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Awele’s performances include notable events like the NHL’s Black History Month at Rogers Arena and the first-ever Monster Jam at Rogers Place, Edmonton.

Influenced by the genres held close to her heart throughout her life, Paitra blends rock, folk, and alternative with a pop twist. In 2017, her passion for music carried her away from her small town of Timmins, Ontario to move to Toronto. Since then, she has immersed herself in the city’s vibrant music community, playing live shows in historical venues and collaborating with a variety of talented musicians. Paitra’s vocal style is often described as being a blend of Stevie Nicks, Miley Cyrus, Sheryl Crow, and hometown-hero Shania Twain.

In 2023, she debuted with the energy-forward rock tune Lovely Little Liar, which was then followed by the delicate yet powerful love ballad Three Simple Words. Her 60s-surf-rock-inspired summer release Outside In brought wholesomeness to her discography.

Paitra’s music tells the story of her personal experiences, and her latest single Easier to Love Than Hate embodies the emotion she endured during a difficult time in her life. Vulnerability is something she tries to practice as openly as possible, even though that can be a difficult thing sometimes.

As she continues to put out more music, Paitra goes wherever the wind takes her.

From the balmy shores of Canada comes the sunny duo 538st featuring brothers Sam and Jake Cooke. With a foundation of hip-hop that melds jazzy R’n’B and funk, their sound is reminiscent yet fresh. Based out of Kelowna, BC, 538st formed in 2019 and has been building their platform, booking ever-bigger shows and garnering attention from prominent names in the music industry. The band especially shines in their live performance, where they exude infectious energy and musicality. Along with being front runners in their local scene, 538st has amassed passionate fans across the globe. Their fans are diverse and dedicated to supporting the project, many devoted enough to get the 538st tattoo and join the family for life. The band commonly surprises the audience with their exciting contrast between their look and their sound. The good vibes pass effortlessly between the stage and crowd, making it impossible not to dance. Sam and Jake push for musical growth and evolution while they stay grounded in their roots; 538st is named for their childhood home, in the town where they have a vigorous fan base of die-hard supporters.

Fireworks

10:00 PM Fireworks Start 

Don’t miss out on an exciting fireworks celebration to end our Canada Day celebrations!

* Weather Permitting

In the evening, Maclure Road will be closed from Trethewey Street to Gladwin Road from 8:00pm – 1:00am for fireworks (weather permitting).

There are plenty of spots to watch the fireworks from Abbotsford Exhibition Park and all around the city. For those who wish to watch the fireworks display from other locations around Abbotsford, you can download the PyroCast App and listen to the music that accompanies the fireworks show.

The audio will be automatically downloaded to the user’s phone BEFORE playback in the app can begin. This occurs once the QR code is scanned and app installed which we recommend downloading prior to the fireworks show to avoid potential delays with connecting. The user only needs to connect once with the QR code, and the app will remember the show for the next time they open the app.

The unique show code is F8MS (Users can download the “Pyrocast” app and enter that code directly into the app instead of scanning a QR code).

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Thank you to all of our sponsors for supporting Canada Day Celebrations in our community!

Abby News

Global BC

Heritage Canada

The Patrika

98.3 Star FM

107.1 Country

Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival

Abbotsford Agrifair

Abbotsford Arts Council

Abbotsford Canucks

Abbotsford Fire & Rescue Services

Abbotsford Hospice & Grief Support Society

Abbotsford Parks, Recreation & Culture

Abbotsford Police Department

BC Hydro

Blackwood Home Hardware & Building Centre

Celebration Fireworks

Dogwood Pacesetter Canine Sports Club

Elite Fire Protection

Fraser Valley Regional Library

Fraserway RV

Prime Property Group

Legacy Dance Productions

Little Oak Realty

Sevenoaks Mall

Sport Abbotsford

The Reach Gallery Museum

Twisters Gymnastics Club

Unitech Construction Management

Vancouver Football Club

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