Surrounded by forests, mountains, creeks and rivers, the Tri-Cities are blessed with nature and fall is the perfect time to celebrate the bounty.
Over the next several weeks, several festivals will be held in and around the area. Pick one or two, put on your walking shoes and get out and explore the best of what the Tri-Cities have to offer.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 19
• Treefest 2015: This event takes place on the Riverview Hospital grounds in Coquitlam from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Highlights include: guided tree tours, a heritage building walk, history bus tours, environmental displays, Blackberry Tea in the Serenity Garden, musicians and artists on site, SPARC Antique Radio Museum and a children's walk. Treefest is a celebration of environmental stewardship focusing on the heritage trees, buildings and landscapes of the Riverview Hospital site in. For more information, phone 604-290-9910 or visit http://www.coquitlam.ca/treefest
SUNDAY, SEPT. 20
• FraserFEST: The Rivershed Society of B.C. is hosting FraserFEST, a series of community festivals along the banks of the Fraser River, including one at Colony Farm Regional Park in Coquitlam. From 3-7 p.m., this Sunday, there will be live music, outdoor yoga, face painting and kids activities , as well as a salmon barbecue, speakers and educational booths. For more information, visit www.rivershed.com.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 27
• National Forest Week: The Riverview Horticultural Centre Society invites you to a tree tour of a significant Riverview trees. Led by an arbourist, the tour will leave at 1 p.m. from the upper entrance of the Henry Esson Young Building on the Riverview property. For a site map and more information, visit www.rhcs.org or call at 604-939-7769.
• Rivers and Trails Festival: Visit Port Coquitlam for the Rivers and Trails Festival at two park locations. Festival activities will start at 10 a.m. in Lions Park, 2300 Lions Way, where there will be outdoor yoga classes, music by Chersea, art activities, salmon release, tree plantings and children's stations with a passport program and opportunities to win prizes.
• Rivers and Trails Festival: Also takes place at Peace Park, 1470 Kebet Way, where there will be children's games, a concession, art activities and river tours available aboard the SS Native paddle wheeler (for $2 per person on a first-come, first served basis). A limited number of tickets are available only at Peace Park and event participants are encouraged to ride their bikes between Peace and Lions parks sites for the festival, along a scenic portion of the Traboulay PoCo Trail.
SUNDAY, OCT. 25
Salmon Come Home: Once again the Hoy Scott Watershed Society will be joining with the City of Coquitlam to present this event to teach people about the salmon life cycle. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hoy Creek Hatchery there will be live salmon demos, musical entertainment, tree planting, children's activities food and educational activities. Event Twitter hashtag is #salmonleavehome and the group has a Facebook page and a website: www.hoyscottcreeks.org.
