The second annual Taste of Abby Fall Food Festival was nothing short of success! With a mixture of paid and ticketed events nearly every evening from September 15 to September 24, over 1,200 locals and visitors alike were able to celebrate so many of the tasty, diverse, and passion-fueled culinary experiences Abbotsford has to offer, and encouraged to #supportlocal.

The festivities kicked off with the Taste of Abby Night Market–an event so popular in 2022 that we knew we had to bring it back! With attendees doubling from last year to this year, over 1000 locals and visitors spent the night experiencing an evening of flavours from around Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley.

Taking place in Jubilee Park, there were 30 unique vendors for attendees to visit, including local favourite culinary creators like El Compañeros, Restaurant 62, Field House Brewing, Banter Ice Cream, and Singletree Winery, to family-friendly activities such as Bells & Whistles Mini Golf, and the Abbotsford Canucks Fun Zone.

And, since nothing says Abbotsford quite like agricultural experiences, our friends from Maan Farms and Taves Family Farm also served up their own delicious offerings! Visitors enjoyed their drinks and treats to the sounds of local Fraser Valley performers, Rebecca Sichon and Velavox.

Since the Circle Farm Tour, a typically self-guided trail of local eateries, shops, and farm experiences, is such a favourite for both locals and visitors, we decided to include a Guided Circle Farm Tour experience in this year’s fall food festival.

The five hour tour took place on September 16, and participants experienced some of Abbotsford’s best agricultural experiences, farm-to-table offerings, and wineries. Those on the tour visited four Circle Farm Tour partners: Abbotsford Farm & Country Market, EcoFarm, Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm & Meadery, and Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery. Keep your eye out for more Guided Circle Farm Tours in the future!

Another fun new event this year was Pickeball & Pints, held on September 19. As one of Abbotsford’s most-loved activities that can be enjoyed in our very own Jubilee Park, we partnered up with Old Yale Brewing, Go Play Outside, and TopSpin Pickleball Club to create a free evening of sips and sports.

Beginners and seasoned pickleballers alike started the night by battling it out on the Jubilee courts. Afterwards, participants headed down the road to Old Yale Brewing to enjoy a refreshing and free pint! Some of our top beers were the Moon Dance Mango Wheat and the Sasquatch Stout.

This year we also introduced another unique experience–Grape Stomping at Singletree Winery! This fun and free event took place on September 20, and was a great way for attendees to experience the Abbotsford wine culture hands on, as they pulled on their boots and crushed grapes the old fashioned way.

After, participants could taste delicious local wine and enjoy the stunning Fraser Valley views that Singletree is renowned for.

As one of this year’s most scenic and memorable events, the Foraging Workshop took place at the beautiful Howesclere Evergreens & Gardens. In partnership with Forage & Faire, Forest Gifts, and the Fraser Valley Conservancy, attendees learned how to ethically forage native plants, how to best use them, and the beauty they can bring to our plates and well-being.

Participants partook in a meal from Chef’s Acre, with ingredients foraged from Chef Craig Schere’s garden on Sumas Mountain. After an afternoon of learning, they went home with salve from Forest Gifts and a lush bouquet from Howesclere Evergreens & Gardens!

There were so many other special elements to this year’s Taste of Abby Fall Food Festival, from the Food & Farm Awards, to the Hungry for Hockey contest, to the recording of the Taste of Abby Bigger Than Me podcast series with host Aaron Pete. The Taste of Abby Fall Flavours cookbook, a collection of recipes from local farmers and avid food lovers, was also released–read now to discover fresh and flavourful recipes!

For more information on what took place this year, and stay in the know on what’s to come, check out tasteofabby.ca and follow us on Instagram @tasteofabby. We can’t wait to celebrate with you next year!

We at Tourism Abbotsford feel so fortunate to be able to celebrate the beauty of the land we live on, and are grateful for all who made this festival possible.

We are thankful and acknowledge that this celebration takes place on the traditional and unceded territory of the Stó:lō people, the Semá:th and Mathxwí First Nation. With this, we respect the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Nations have to this land, as they are the original caretakers.