BC's longest-running tulip festival reborn near Harrison Hot Springs

The Chilliwack Tulip Festival is no more.

But don’t worry flower lovers, the festival still exists and will return this spring. It will just be in a different location.

Pioneers of British Columbia’s longest-running tulip festival, the Onos family has relocated to the Agassiz area, near Harrison Hot Springs, and they say it’s a homecoming.

The festival initially launched as Tulips of the Valley on Seabird Island, just east of Agassiz, in 2006.

After a decade, it moved to leased land in Chilliwack and debuted there in 2017, which was followed by the introduction of the Chilliwack Sunflower Festival a year later.

Now, the Onos family has acquired farmland in Agassiz and are excitedly returning to where it all began.

Flower lovers first experienced their new property with the debut of the Harrison Sunflower Festival in 2023, and now it’s time for the rebranded tulip festival to take flight.

“This will be the most colourful spring celebration in the province. Come explore 35 acres with 10 million tulip, double daffodil and hyacinth bulbs planted, including more than 50 tulip varieties, 15 double daffodil varieties and a dozen varieties of hyacinths,” a blog post from the family explains.

“A spectacular two-acre show garden features mature fruit and nut trees, flowering shrubs and grassy pathways brightened by thousands of tulips, hyacinths and fritillaria, a new bloom that promises to be the debuting belle of this year’s festival.”

And just in case millions of gorgeous flowers aren’t enough, the backdrop for the newly-located festival is the unmistakable vista of Mount Cheam.

As was the case in Chilliwack, there will be plenty of photo opportunities with swing sets, antique tractors and horse carts, vintage bicycles, a 1950s convertible, a 1965 Airstream trailer and more.

Food trucks will be on site daily and the farm store will be open to offer up souvenirs, refreshments and both fresh-cut and potted flowers.

The Harrison Tulip Festival is located at 5039 Lougheed Hwy in Agassiz and it will open to the public on Monday, April 8.

You can stay up to date on the Harrison Tulip Festival by checking out their website and Facebook page.