Yee-haw! Country Celebration is back at Campbell Valley Regional Park for its 40th year.
Since 1979, both rural dwellers and city slickers have been getting together and partaking in the fun of farm life at this outdoor festival.
Zoey Slater, special events assistant for East Area Regional Parks, said the anniversary will certainly play a role in this year’s theme.
“The first celebration in 1979 was held to mark the opening of Campbell Valley Regional Park,” Slater explained. “We’ll have commemorative buttons that people can mark how many years they‘ve been coming as well as re-usable grocery totes to promote sustainability.”
The fall tradition will have a full line-up of musical performances, a giant straw maze, kids zone activities, Raku pottery workshops, roving performers, plus interactive exhibits with live raptors, farm animals, and pony rides.
Over fifty businesses, vendors, artisans, and farmers with locally grown produce will be part of the festival’s marketplace. Booths from various Langley organizations like the Centennial Museum, Environmental Partners Society, Heritage Society, and Farm Museum, to name a few.
Demonstrations this year will feature woodturners, beeswax candle makers, antique engines, a pop-up library, and much more.
Performers include Ginalina, The Beaten Path, Coal Davie & The Rockabillionaires, The Wilds, Coldwater Road, and Five on a String.
For the hungry festival-goers hoping for some country home cooking – plenty of barbecue, perogies, mac and cheese, ice cream, mini donuts will be available, as well as some non-traditional farm foods like Dim Sum, Cannoli, and even Vancouver Japadogs.
Organizers are asking guests to bring their own cutlery, mug, and bags this year to cut down on consumption and waste.
The historic Rowlatt Farmstead provides the fitting backdrop for this country-filled weekend, with the iconic red barn standing tall – guests are welcome to enter where the Langley Field Naturalists will be holding hands-on activities.
Slater also said the rare opportunity to tour inside the historic Lochiel Schoolhouse onsite, which is not often open to the public.
The celebration gets underway Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 7 and 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – rain or shine. Admission is $3 per adult and $1 for children and seniors.
“The Country Celebration provides the opportunity to have a connection with a regional park,” Slater added. “Our tag line is nature, heritage, agriculture, and community which really encompasses what the festival is all about.”
Read Last Year’s Story: Country Celebration returns to Campbell Valley Park Sept. 8 and 9
An ATM machine will be available and dogs are allowed on a leash.
More information on festival activities and logistics can be found at www.metrovancouver.org/events/country-celebration.
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Email: ryan.uytdewilligen@langleyadvancetimes.com
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