Aldergrove Agricultural Fair & Festival Association

The fair nearly didn’t make it to 2027. In the first days of October the society posted a blunt message on social media, with a picture of a “closed” sign: without more volunteers, it said, the fair might not run after 100 years. President Tanya Hutchison told the Langley Advance Times a couple of people had since stepped forward, and that if they come to a meeting and stay, she had a good feeling about July. Everyone already helping, she said, had been at capacity for years.

That is the whole story of this group in miniature, so it is worth knowing what it actually runs.

What the society looks after

AAFFA calls itself an umbrella organization. It brings community groups, service clubs and businesses together to put on three things each year, according to its own site:

• Aldergrove Fair Days, a three-day fair in July. The 2026 edition ran July 17 to 19.
• A Canada Day event on July 1. In 2026 it was a free gathering from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion in Aldergrove, with a flag-raising at 1 p.m. and a food-bank collection. (We have a page on the Legion in Langley.)
• The Christmas Light Up Parade in downtown Aldergrove. This year’s, the 29th, is on Saturday, December 12, from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m., with a free community gathering at 270 Street and Fraser Highway from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. The parade entry deadline is Monday, December 7. More in Christmas in Langley.

It also owns Coghlan Community Hall at 6795 256 Street, which it rents out. The hall’s page gives the main floor as 29 by 43 feet, holding about 70 people, with a raised stage and no kitchen. Rental enquiries go to [email protected].

The fair itself

The 2026 fair was held at Kinsmen Park in Aldergrove Athletic Park, with the entrance behind the Aldergrove Library. The 2026 programme on the society’s site included:

• a car show, the Aldy Show 'n Shine, billed as its 17th year with over 200 vehicles, on the Friday evening;
• a free Kid’s Zone with face-painting, a cupcake contest, lawn games and a toddler-only section;
• a Fast Draw competition, run by the Thunderbird Fast Draw Club with blank-loaded revolvers and electronic timers;
• an antique tractor pull on Saturday and Sunday afternoons;
• twice-daily dog agility shows, a main stage with live music from Friday night through Sunday afternoon, and a beverage garden for adults.

Details change every year, and the schedule, fair layout and any entry information for 2027 will appear on the Forms & Maps page. We have not seen 2027 dates published yet, so we are not guessing: the Aldergrove Star and the society both refer to “July 2027”.

The society says it coordinates the agricultural side of Fair Days too: the Century Award, educational exhibits, demonstrations, and prize exhibiting, with contest categories running, in the society’s words, from asparagus to zucchinis and from playdough to photography.

How the fair got here

A timeline, drawn from the society’s history page and the Langley Advance Times:

• 1912. The first fair is held on September 19, run by the Aldergrove Agricultural Association. It judged horses and carriages, poultry, dairy produce, fruit, flowers and needlework.
• 1923. The association builds its own agricultural hall, used for the fall fair until 1961.
• 1961 to 1964. After the property is sold, flower shows move to the United Church hall and the fair to the high school gym. In 1965 it goes back to the Elks hall, and in 1982 it moves to the Aldergrove arena.
• Early 2000s. With volunteers scarce for both the fall fair and a separate June festival, the two groups merge into the current association, and the fair moves to the third week of July. The Canada Day parade, which the festival had run, was cancelled in 2023 because of cost and a lack of volunteers, according to the Advance Times; as of 2026 the society runs a Canada Day gathering at the Legion instead.
• 1984. The society is incorporated.
• 2026. About 11,000 people attend, up from roughly 10,000 the year before, per the Aldergrove Star.

Helping out

Preparation for the next fair begins in September, because grant applications and permits have to go in early. The society says it needs over 150 volunteers for its events and lists committees for field maintenance, vendors, events, music and stage, sponsorship, grants and permits, promotion, and social media and website. You do not need to be a member to help, but a $5 membership lets you vote at meetings.

To get involved, email [email protected] or [email protected], or use the shift sign-up on the volunteer page. For other ways to pitch in around Langley, see Volunteering in Langley, and for a wider look at the town, our Aldergrove guide.

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