Events In Abbotsford

The Fraser Valley Writers Festival is Back for 2025 

The two-day festival of author talks and workshops kicks off November 7th  

Abbotsford, B.C. — The Fraser Valley Writers Festival looks forward to hosting twelve acclaimed authors from across the country for a celebration of Canadian literature. In its 18th year, the 2025 Fraser Valley Writers Festival continues to grow, offering a dozen free events over two days at the University of the Fraser Valley’s Abbotsford campus. 

Headlining the opening night on November 7th will be two of Vancouver’s most celebrated writers: Charles Demers, comedian and author of The Eh Team (Greystone Books) and Evelyn Lau, poet and author of fifteen books, including the just released Parade of Storms (Anvil Press). 

The following day will be packed with workshops for aspiring writers, live podcast recordings and panel discussions from a wide range of talented authors, including Dublin Literary Award nominee Jen Sookfong Lee, author of The Hunger We Pass Down (Penguin Random House). Joining Lee will be Maritime writers Nick Thran and Brian Barlett, Victoria poet Kayla Czaga, Vancouver essayist Daniela Elza and local Fraser Valley authors Joseph Dandurand, Taryn Hubbard, Christina Myers, and Heather Ramsay. 

All events are free and open to the public, hosted out of UFV’s Abbotsford campus (Building B Room 101). Events are free but with limited availability for more information, or to get tickets for events, please visit: http://fvwritersfestival.com/   

The Fraser Valley Writers Festival (FVWF): Founded in 2007 as the Mission Writers & Readers Festival, the FVWF has been run by the University of the Fraser Valley, out of its Abbotsford campus, since 2017.  

A fact sheet with details on all our authors, including full biographies and photos, is available upon request. To arrange an interview with any of our authors, or with Festival Artistic Director Rob Taylor, please contact Marketing and Logistics Manager Anna McCausland at fvwritersfest@ufv.ca.  

### 

Are you someone who wants to make a difference for nature and the people who visit Fishtrap Creek Park?

We’re looking for energetic volunteers who are up to a physical challenge. We need help receiving and placing 1,000 native potted plants to help prepare for our tree planting event at Fishtrap Creek Park. This is a vital role to ensure our planting day is successful!

Friday, November 14, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
Matsqui Centennial Auditorium
32315 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford BC

Annalee Patipatanakoon, Violin
Roman Borys, Cello
Jamie Parker, Piano

The Gryphon Trio is firmly established as Canada’s premiere chamber ensemble. The group has an extensive catalogue of recordings. They have won three Juno Awards for Classical Album of the Year and been nominated eleven times. Along with a mastery of the standard repertoire, they have commissioned over 85 new works.

Violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon is a graduate of Indiana University and the Curtis Institute of Music, two highly regarded music schools. Among her wins at competitions is a first prize at the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto School of Music.

Cellist Roman Borys is a founding member of the Gryphon Trio along with his wife Annalee Patipatanakoon. He is the Artistic Director of the Ottawa Chamber Music Society. He received an honorary doctorate from Carleton University for his contributions to the community. He created the trio’s flagship educational program Listen Up!

Pianist Jamie Parker grew up in Vancouver and graduated from UBC before going on to study at the Juilliard School. He too won first prize at the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition in 1984. He has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras and made frequent appearances on various television networks.

Are you someone who wants to make a difference for nature and the people of the Fraser Valley? Do you want to help wildlife living in urban environments? Do you like planting? If so, we want you on our team!

We’re looking for energetic volunteers to help us plant 1000 native trees and shrubs at Fishtrap Creek Park in Abbotsford.

For Youth 11-15 | $65

Learn tips for having a safe and fun babysitting experience! Find out how to interview for a babysitting job and provide age appropriate games and toys, basic first aid, diapering and feeding techniques and much more.

We offer a fun, youth-friendly, and inclusive environment for this important course that helps youth build confidence, learn practical childcare skills, safety skills, and how to stay calm and capable when things don’t go as planned.

Learn more and register on abbyyouth.com/babysitters

Join us (virtually or in-person) for the Annual FVCPAA Conference on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Centre in Abbotsford (36035 North Parallel Rd.) from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Participants attending all sessions will earn a certificate for 7 hours of verified professional development (PD). Don’t miss this valuable opportunity!

Winter Jubilee is the annual holiday festival Downtown and is home to the only tree lighting event in Abbotsford!

The celebration kicks off the holiday season in the community and features many festive activities for all ages to enjoy. Start your holiday shopping in the vendor market, grab a warm drink from one of many partner booths, and enjoy the live performances on stage!

Cookie decorating, face painting, and pictures with Santa are just a few of the free activities at the Winter Jubilee!

️
Follow the Yellow Brick Road with Abbotsford Children’s Theatre! 
Step into a world of magic and adventure as Abbotsford Children’s Theatre
proudly presents Wizard of Oz! Join Dorothy, Toto, and their
unforgettable friends—the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion—as they journey
through the Land of Oz in search of courage, heart, wisdom, and home.

Featuring a talented
local cast of youth ages 10–18, this timeless classic will delight audiences of
all ages. Don’t miss your chance to experience the magic of friendship,
bravery, and believing in yourself—because there truly is no place like
home!

️
Follow the Yellow Brick Road with Abbotsford Children’s Theatre! 
Step into a world of magic and adventure as Abbotsford Children’s Theatre
proudly presents Wizard of Oz! Join Dorothy, Toto, and their
unforgettable friends—the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion—as they journey
through the Land of Oz in search of courage, heart, wisdom, and home.

Featuring a talented
local cast of youth ages 10–18, this timeless classic will delight audiences of
all ages. Don’t miss your chance to experience the magic of friendship,
bravery, and believing in yourself—because there truly is no place like
home!

Calling all campers!

❄️Looking for fun, active, and engaging activities for your kids this holiday season?
Our Winter Break Camps are a perfect way for children ages 5-12 years old
to stay busy, make friends, and enjoy exciting activities including swimming,
skating, games, crafts and MORE! ⛄️

Locations:

Abbotsford Recreation
Centre – Camps for ages 3-5, 5-8, and 9-12.
Matsqui Recreation
Centre – Camps for ages 7-12.

️ Camp Dates:

December 22-23
– 2 Day Camp option
December 24 -
Half Day Camp option
December 29-January 2
– Week Long Camp (exc. Jan 1)

⏰Camp
Times:

3-5yrs -
9am-11am
5-8yrs-
9am-4pm
7-12yrs- 9am-4pm
9-12yrs-
9am-4pm
*Please note Before and Aftercare are available on select dates

Don’t miss out – spaces are limited! Follow this link for more information  Winter Break Camps Booking Page & Camp Before/After Care Booking Page

Thursday, January 22, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Matsqui Centennial Auditorium
32315 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford BC

Sylvain Lapointe, Trumpet
Frédéric Gagnon, Trumpet
Pascal Lafrenière, Horn
Jason de Carufel, Trombone
Sylvain Arseneau, Bass Trombone

Buzz Brass, based in Quebec, has been one of Canada’s leading brass quintets since their formation in 2002. With a repertoire that features original arrangements, Buzz Brass blends classical music and a variety of other musical styles to present programs that appeal to a wide audience. The ensemble has performed in North America, Europe, and China. They have eight recordings to their credit.

Buzz Brass will perform a program entitled Famous Inspirations. You will hear masterpieces from the turn of the twentieth century brought to life with a new voice and new arrangements. Listen to a string quartet played with the bright tones of the brass. Compare the percussive notes of Debussy’s or Satie’s piano music transformed by their mellow flowing lines.

Program Includes:

Ravel: String Quartet in F major

Debussy: The Girl With the Flaxen Hair

Jorgensen: Brass Quintet in A flat major

Dvorak: String Quartet No. 12 in F major

Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

Satie: Gymnopédies

Pollack: That’s a Plenty

Bach: My Spirit Be Joyful

Piazzolla: Milonga del Angel

Friday February 20, 7:30pm

Matsqui Centennial Auditorium
32315 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford BC

Jeneba is the fifth of the seven musicians in the amazingly talented Kanneh-Mason family from Nottingham in the UK. The Valley Concert Society had the good fortune to present her older siblings, cellist Sheku and pianist Isata, on their first visit to North America. Jeneba is the third member of her family to establish herself as a soloist.

Jeneba has been recognized for her “maturity in performance and interpretation.” She made her debut at the BBC Proms performing the Florence Price Concerto with the Chineke! Orchestra. She won the Murs du Son Prize at the Lagny-Sur-Marne International Piano Competition in France. She has released her first album entitled Fantasie. Some of the works she will be performing here appear on the album.

Program

Bach: Partita No. 5

Beethoven: Sonata No. 17, “Tempest”

Still: Summerland

Debussy: La Fille & Bruyères

Price: Fantasie Nègre No. 1

Chopin: Ballade No. 3

Chopin: Ballade No. 4

Friday, March 27, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Matsqui Centennial Auditorium
32315 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford BC

Suzie LeBlanc, Soprano
Alexander Weimann, Harpsichord
Chloe Meyers, Violin
Grégoire Jeay, Traverso & Percussion

Four of Canada’s finest musicians in Baroque music will be here to present a program of music by Purcell and Bach as well as traditional tunes. Transverse flute player Grégoire Jeay comes from Montreal to join three Vancouver-based musicians. Suzie LeBlanc is the artistic and executive director of highly-regarded Early Music Vancouver. Alexander Weimann is the artistic director of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, and his wife Chloe Meyers is concertmaster of the PBO.

Acadian soprano Suzie LeBlanc has been recognized with the Order of Canada and four honorary doctorates for her contributions in the area of Baroque music. Her seventy recordings include a Grammy Award and a CINI Award (Italy). She has toured on five continents and was invited to sing for the president of Czechoslovakia, Vaclav Havel.

While he is much in demand as a harpsichordist, Alexander Weimann is also highly esteemed as a conductor of Baroque orchestras having led such groups as Les Voix Baroques, Tempo Rubato, and the Portland Baroque Orchestra. His recording with soprano Karina Gauvin and the Arion Ensemble won a Juno Award in 2013. He is noted for his skills at improvisation on the organ and harpsichord.

Chloe Meyers enjoys a busy career as either concertmaster or soloist with groups like Arion Baroque Orchestra, Victoria Baroque, and Ensemble Les Boréades, among others. She teaches young artists in the Baroque Orchestra Mentorship Program at UBC. Meyers performed double concerti by Vivaldi together with Italian star Enrico Onofri and the PBO in our series in 2018. 

While his specialty is the Baroque flute, Grégoire Jeay also plays the recorder and various international flute styles. He has performed with such distinguished groups as Tafelmusik and Ensemble Caprice. Jeay is also a composer of note. Tafelmusik commissioned him to write a triple concerto for flute, violin, harpsichord, and orchestra. 

Suzie and her colleagues have prepared a program entitled: Wish You Were Here – Love, Longing, and Travel.

Four simple words—wish you were here—have echoed across centuries, scribbled on postcards, tucked into letters, and held quietly in the hearts of those far from home. Whether written from afar or in moments of longing, they reflect our human desire for connection.

From the expressive music of John Dowland and Henry Purcell to Acadian folk songs and echoes of Pink Floyd, join us for an evening of music and words exploring themes of love, distance, and the ties that bring us together.

Bryan Cheng, Cello
Silvie Cheng, Piano
James Campbell, Clarinet

This concert brings together one of Canada’s finest young duos and a highly respected veteran of many years on the concert stage. The brother and sister team of Byran and Silvie Cheng performed in our series in 2019. Since then, they have gone on to become established stars both individually and as a duo.

Bryan is currently based in Germany. He has won prizes at numerous competitions and was the first cellist to be awarded the Prix Yves Paternot in the recognition of the Verbier Festival Academy’s most promising and accomplished musician. He received a two-year appointment as Artist-in-Residence at the Banatul Philharmonic Orchestra in Timosoara, Romania.

Silvie is based in New York where she is a teaching-artist at the Manhattan School of Music. She has performed both as a solo and a collaborative artist on five continents. Silvie works closely with living composers and has played in over fifty world premieres since 2010. She received the Roy M. Rubinstein Award for “exceptional promise in piano performance” upon her graduation from the Manhattan School of Music.

Recognized as “Canada’s pre-eminent clarinetist”, James Campbell counts a Juno Award, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, and the Order of Canada among his many honours. He has been involved in five television specials, more than forty recordings, and over thirty commissioned works. He has been Artistic Director of the Festival of the Sound in Ontario since 1985. He has been Professor of Music at the prestigious Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University since 1988.

Program Includes:

Beethoven: Piano Trio in B-flat major

Graham Campbell: Two Klezmer Dances Canadian Style

Weiner: Hungarian Dance for Clarinet and Piano

Brahms: Clarinet Trio in A minor

and more TBA