VERDICT: We gave 5 out of 5 tickets and here’s why!
This guide forms part of our complete Canada Travel Guide featuring scenic road trips, iconic destinations, practical travel advice and honest first-hand travel experiences from across Canada.
This guide forms part of our complete Guide To The Fraser Valley, featuring scenic road trips, local events, hidden gems and honest first-hand travel experiences from across the region.
Live orchestral music, dancing and community spirit fill Abbotsford’s beautiful Mill Lake Park
On a warm Summer evening in August we discovered there was to be a Symphony in the Park in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
Mill Lake Park is an amazing space for walking, biking, picnics, playing in the playground or water park, enjoying the small art gallery or sitting with a cup of tea on a park bench to watch the ducks splash & the eagles soar overhead.
This evening though, was filled with about 2,000+ people just waiting to hear an orchestra play some familiar tunes.
The conductor was none other than concert violinist, Dr. Calvin Dyck. He recently completed his role as Concertmaster for the Vancouver Island Symphony (Nanaimo) after 26 successful and fulfilling seasons.
He is in demand as an adjudicator for music festivals across the country. Calvin is the Artistic Director for Oceanside Classical Concerts, the Artistic Director of the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra, has a teaching studio of 30 students, and is a busy producer with his company Songs, Strings and Steps Events Ltd. He started his musical training on the accordion at age 5, his violin training began when he was 8!
He invited us to sing Oh Canada, Amazing Grace, even Happy Birthday to a few concert-goers between the lively mix of classical favourites and popular hits, including Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro Overture, a movement from Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto, Viva La Vida, the Superman March, Conga del Fuego, and highlights from the soundtracks of Mission: Impossible and The Sound of Music.
Conductor & producer Calvin, performed the crowd-pleasing
“Hot Canary” while wearing a jaunty yellow hat with a feathery plume.
Adding to the excitement, dancers from the Fraser Valley Academy of Dance took the stage, also some sprightly skippers and audience members were invited to join in the fun by creating the cannon blasts during the 1812 Overture by popping paper bags. It was so fun!
There were food trucks on site, and you could make donations for attending the show, which of course, everyone was happy to do.
It was a spectacular show, thanks to many generous sponsors & a music grant, featuring a 13 year old cellist, many extremely talented musicians & the quirky, funny sense of humour of Dr. Dyck.
Looking forward to attending again next year!
Nearby Fraser Valley Attractions
- Fort Langley
- Canadian Museum of Flight
- Mission Raceway Park
- Abbotsford International Airshow (2025)
- Sunday Brunch in Chilliwack at the Golf Club
- Tulip Festival (Seasonal)
- Chilliwack River Valley Road Trip
- Hiking Mt. Cheam, Chilliwack
- McDonald Park and Dark Sky Preserve
- Tuscan Farm Gardens
- Westminster Abbey, Mission, B.C.
- Hiking Teapot Hill, Chilliwack
- What Makes Canada Day Special; Featuring Canada Da Parade
- Fraser Valley Heritage Train Tour
With every trip, we offer feedback to travel companies along with honest views for you, the reader. We rate adventures on a scale of one to five tickets, judged on quality, service, memorability, and price. A perfect ‘Ticket Rating’ of a five-ticket score means the experience was flawless and we’d eagerly return. Your desire to go back is the ultimate measure of a trip’s worth. Exclusive to My Return Ticket.
