Vancouver to the Harrison Tulip Festival: Night Garden After Dark
For the first time in twenty years, you can wander Canada's largest tulip festival after the sun goes down. There are only five nights this happens in 2026. We're going on one of them.
A Brand New Way to See the Festival
In 2024, the Harrison Tulip Festival was named the World's Most Instagrammable Tulip Farm at the World Tulip Summit in Holland. To celebrate their 20th anniversary this year, Onos Farms is doing something they've never done before: opening the gates after dark for Night Garden, a five-evening-only event where the 4-acre show garden gets lit up with lanterns, twinkling lights, and glowing installations woven through 14 million blooms. It runs five evenings total. April 25 is one of them.
Golden Hour Into Glowing Night
Here's what makes this trip different from a normal tulip day. We arrive around 5 PM, which gives you the fields in late afternoon light (the kind photographers fly across the country for), then golden hour as the sun drops behind the Coast Mountains, then the full Night Garden experience as the lanterns come on and the farm transforms into something completely different.
You'll see the same field three different ways in one evening. The same windmill. The same Dutch bikes. The same flower-lined pathways. Each one shot in a totally different mood. Your camera roll is going to be unreasonably good.
What Night Garden Actually Looks Like
When the sun sets, the 4-acre show garden becomes a glowing landscape:
- Illuminated pathways winding through tulip beds
- Lantern-lit flower fields and grape hyacinths
- Glowing swing sets you can sit on for portraits
- Curated photo moments designed for the dark
- Live music drifting through the rows
- A curated evening market with local farmers, bakers, cideries, cheese makers, and honey producers
- Three food trucks slinging festival favourites
And the Bloom Bar gets a special after-dark twist: you can build your own bouquet or flower crown, then add twinkling fairy lights to the flowers. Yes. A glowing flower crown, in a glowing garden, on the only night this exists. We don't need to spell out what that does to a photo.
What Parkbus Handles
We handle the drive there, the parking, the drive home, and the small talk on the way back about which photo turned out best. You handle the camera roll. We depart Vancouver at 3 PM, arrive at the farm around 5 PM, and stay through the full Night Garden experience until close. You'll be back on the bus heading home while everyone else is still trying to find their car keys in a dark parking lot.
What's Waiting for You
- Three lighting moods in one evening. Late afternoon sun on the fields when we arrive, golden hour as the sun drops, then full Night Garden once the lanterns come on. The same tulip looks like three different photos.
- 14 million tulips, 150+ varieties. April 25 lands in peak season, when the most varieties bloom at the same time. Doubles, fringed, parrot tulips, the works.
- The 4-acre illuminated show garden, the centerpiece of Night Garden. Glowing pathways, lantern-lit beds, and thoughtfully placed photo installations designed specifically for the after-dark experience.
- The windmill, the Dutch bikes, the swings, the viewing platforms. All the famous photo backdrops, but lit up at night. You've never seen them like this because, again, this didn't exist before 2026.
- A flower crown that actually glows. Build one at the Bloom Bar, weave in fairy lights, wear it for the rest of the evening. Try to look casual about it.
- Live music drifting through the fields. Not a stage show. More like a soundtrack you walk through.
- A curated evening night market with local farmers, bakers, artisans, cideries, cheese makers, and honey producers. Bring cash, leave with snacks.
- Three food trucks running all evening, so dinner is sorted without leaving the farm. Plan to eat there.
- The relief of someone else driving home. It's a long evening on your feet in the dark in the country. Letting someone else handle the wheel after 10 PM is the actual luxury of this trip.
Tickets
- Adult $105.00
- Student/Senior $94.50
- Children $73.50
Pickup Locations
1025 Dunsmuir Street
In front of Bentall Centre Courtyard, where you’ll also see TD Bank. We recommend getting there 15 minutes early to make sure you have enough time for the bus.
Departure Time
4:30 PM
Return Time
11:00 PM
Harrison Tulip Festival
Estimated arrival
5:45 PM
Departure
10:00 PM
Logistics
When is the trip? Saturday, April 25, 2026. This is one of only five Night Garden evenings happening in 2026, so the date is fixed.
What time does the bus depart and return? We depart Vancouver at 3:00 PM and arrive at the farm around 5:00 PM. Night Garden runs from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. We'll head back to Vancouver after the event closes, getting you home in the late evening.
Where does the bus depart from in Vancouver? Pickup details are listed on your booking confirmation. We depart from central Vancouver.
How long is the drive? About 90 minutes to 2 hours each way, depending on traffic over the Port Mann. You'll be on a full-size coach with reclining seats, AC, large windows, and an onboard washroom, so the time goes quickly. Bring headphones.
Is festival admission included in my ticket? Night Garden tickets are sold separately through Onos Farms and include regular festival admission starting at 4:00 PM. We'll confirm exactly what's included in your pre-trip email.
What kind of bus is it? A full-size coach. Reclining seats, air conditioning, big windows, onboard washroom, and storage for jackets, camera bags, and the bouquet you'll inevitably bring home from the Bloom Bar.
The Experience
How does the timing work? You'll get the fields in three completely different lighting conditions:
- 5:00 to roughly 7:00 PM: late afternoon sun on the tulip fields and Secret Garden.
- Around 7:30 to 8:20 PM: golden hour, the photographer's favourite window of the day, with the sun setting behind the Coast Mountains.
- 8:30 to 10:00 PM: full Night Garden, with lanterns, illuminated pathways, glowing installations, and live music.
That's three distinct shoots in one evening on the same farm.
How big is it really? 45 acres total, with the 4-acre show garden as the after-dark centerpiece. 14 million blooms, over 150 varieties of tulips, plus daffodils and hyacinths. Largest tulip farm in Canada and Western Canada's original tulip festival, in its 20th year of operation. The tulip fields are approximately a 200-metre walk from the courtyard area.
Will the tulips be at peak when we go? Late April lands well inside the festival window, and is typically when the most varieties overlap. Onos posts field updates regularly on their site, so you can check the bloom status before the trip.
What if it rains? The festival runs rain or shine and there are a few covered areas to duck under. Wet weather actually makes the Night Garden lights look even more atmospheric (rain on lanterns is its own aesthetic). Just dress for it.
The Selfie Question (Let's Be Honest)
Where are the best photo spots?The windmill, the vintage Dutch bicycles, the swing sets, the elevated viewing platforms, and the pathways through the show garden. For Night Garden specifically, the illuminated pathways, the lantern-lit beds, and the glowing swings are the headliners. Bring whoever takes the best photos of you.
Do I need a fancy camera for night shots? A modern smartphone in night mode handles the Night Garden beautifully. If you have a mirrorless or DSLR with a fast lens (f/1.8 or wider), even better, but it's not required. Bring a small tripod if you have one and want long-exposure shots.
Can I bring a tripod? Yes. Just be courteous about high-traffic photo spots, especially in the show garden where pathways are narrower.
Are drones allowed? No. Drones are not permitted at the farm or in the surrounding area.
Can I cut or pick tulips? No. The bulbs are the farm's primary crop, so the flowers stay rooted. You can buy fresh-cut tulips, potted tulips, or build your own bouquet at the Bloom Bar to take home.
The glowing flower crown thing — how does it work? Visit the Bloom Bar at any point during your evening. They'll set you up to build your own bouquet or crown, and for Night Garden specifically you can add twinkling fairy lights to the flowers. It becomes part of the photo, not just an accessory in it.
Food and Drink
Is dinner included? No, food is on your own. There are three food trucks running all evening, plus a curated night market with local cideries, cheese makers, bakers, and honey producers. You can absolutely eat dinner there. Bring cash and a card. There are 3 Food Truck on site (Greek, Poutine, Dutch Street Food). Hot and cold beverages and light snacks are available in the Farm Store.
Can I bring snacks on the bus? Yes. Just clean up after yourself.
What to Bring
Field conditions may be muddy or slippery, especially after rain. Guests should walk carefully and wear appropriate footwear.
What should I wear? This is a working farm, in April, in the evening, in BC. Translation: it gets cold once the sun drops. Dress in warm layers, bring a proper jacket, and wear gumboots or sturdy waterproof walking shoes. The fields can get muddy. Leave white sneakers and heels at home.
What should I pack? A warm jacket (this is the most important thing), gloves if you run cold, phone with a charged battery (night photos drain batteries fast), a small portable charger if you have one, water bottle, cash and card, and a tote bag for anything you pick up at the night market or Farm Shop.
Outfit tips for photos? Solid colours photograph beautifully against the fields, and lighter colours pop better against the dark Night Garden backgrounds. Avoid neon or busy patterns. A long coat or flowing layer reads beautifully in evening light.
Solo Travellers and Accessibility
I'm coming solo. Will I feel weird? Not at all. A good portion of every Parkbus trip is solo travellers, and the ActiveDays Facebook group is a low-pressure way to meet a few people before you board. Night events tend to bond a group faster than daytime ones (something about lanterns and shared cold), so by the end of the evening you'll have someone to take photos for you.
Is the festival accessible? The 4-acre show garden, which is the heart of Night Garden, is right next to the entrance and is the most accessible part of the farm. On dry days, the front pathways are manageable for wheelchairs and walkers. Smaller-wheeled strollers are not recommended in the field. If you have specific accessibility needs, please get in touch with us before booking.
Is this kid-friendly? Night Garden is designed more as an evening experience for adults and older kids than a daytime family outing. Younger children might find the late hours and the dark walking pathways more challenging. You know your kid best.
Partnership Context
Who runs the Harrison Tulip Festival? Onos Farms, a family-run operation behind Onos Greenhouses Ltd. They've been growing bulbs and cut tulips in BC for two decades. The festival started in Agassiz in 2006, spent ten years in Chilliwack, and moved back to Agassiz in 2024 on a new farm at 5039 Lougheed Hwy. 2026 is their 20th anniversary year, and Night Garden is one of the new experiences they're launching to mark it.
Whose land is this on? The Harrison Tulip Festival is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Stó:lō Coast Salish peoples.
