A bright and colourful event that has been a staple of B.C.’s Fraser Valley for the past four years is moving.
The Abbotsford Tulip Festival, which launched in 2016 and had drawn thousands of visitors every year, is relocating to the North Okanagan.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling to say goodbye to the incredible community that supported our vision for the last few years but we’re hopeful for the future of the event in our new community in the Northern Okanagan,” said founder Alexis Szarek in a statement Monday.
The Szarek family has grown 2.5 million rainbow-coloured tulips in Abbotsford, and employed dozens of staff every year, along with numerous volunteers.
However, the cancellation of the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the sale of their land has led the family to make the move to Armstrong, where they hope to restore the event.
“We want to thank all of our dedicated staff and volunteers who greatly contributed to our success in Abbotsford, as well as the many community stakeholders who helped us along the way,” Szarek said in a statement.