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When crisp autumn air rolls in and the leaves start to change, it’s also a time for cool, colourful, family-friendly experiences throughout the Fraser Valley. Especially if you’re into the colour red, one of the most vibrant events on the calendar is the Fort Langley Cranberry Festival!
Held each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the 29th version of this beloved Fort Langley community celebration of all things tart, sharp, and red will happen on October 12th this year in the heart of charming Fort Langley. The Festival was started in 1995 to celebrate the cranberry harvest and to acknowledge the history of the cranberry in the area, especially in Fort Langley’s early years as an outpost of the Hudson’s Bay Company.
Cranberries are a natural crop here and have long been a diverse resource for Indigenous people. At one time, the Hudson Bay Company exported cranberries to California to complement its fur trading business. Even today, cranberries remain an important agricultural product for the Fraser Valley, which remains one of the biggest cranberry-producing regions in the world.
What started as a real grassroots event supported by the local community has blossomed into a full day of town-wide celebration that sees about 35,000 people come from all over to shop local vendors, enjoy delicious food (served with and without cranberries) and family-friendly entertainment.
Throughout the Fort Langley area, shops and restaurants participate in the Festival, and in a marketplace at Pop Up Park, visitors can peruse over 100 vendors selling locally made arts and crafts, fresh produce, and, of course, an abundance of cranberries. Pick up some handmade cranberry preserves or sauces for your fall feasts, or treat yourself to baked goods that utilize the unique taste characteristics of cranberries.
Past years have seen live entertainment play a big role at the festival. Local musicians and performers representing a variety of genres and cultural groups have graced the stage in front of the Fort Langley Community Hall. Face-painting, hands-on crafts and games have also been a big part of why the festival remains so popular with families year after year, as has an outdoor pancake breakfast put on by the Fort Langley Lions Club.
In addition to the fun in town, the Fort Langley National Historic Site is offering free admission on the day of the festival. Visitors can try their hand at traditional cranberry stomping as well as cast a vote for their favourite straw man in the annual Scarecrow Showcase competition. There will also be lively demonstrations that tell the tale of the cranberry trade and its impact on the Fort’s history.
And while you’re out in the area, it’s a great time to “go deep” into the process of cranberry harvesting at The Bog Riverside Cranberry Farm. Take a tour of this family-run farm to see the harvesting machine in action, the antique cleaning machine doing its thing, and discover interesting facts about cranberry farming at multiple stops along the way. There’s even a scavenger hunt for kids. Top it off by taking your very own cranberry plunge where you’ll wade out into a circle of floating fresh cranberries for the ultimate Fall photo op.
All in all, The Fort Langley Cranberry Festival promises to be a great day for locals and visitors alike to come together to learn a little more about the Valley’s colourful heritage and support local businesses and producers while you’re at it.
