Dahlia Festival Primed to Amaze

2019 Dahlia Festival: August 24 - 26th and August 31 - September 2

Mt. Hood Territory is home to the largest display of dahlias put on by one grower in the entire country, and that event is coming up fast.

You could say Swan Island Dahlias in Canby is kind of a big deal when it comes to their chosen flower. The grower has been in operation for more than 90 years and in addition to putting on the massive Dahlia Festival, they ship cut flowers and tubers worldwide. They also create new varieties, going through the years-long process of planting new seedlings, nurturing them and then introducing 5 to 15 of those new varieties to the public each year. People who attend the festival regularly always get to see something new.

In addition to strolling through the many acres of countless varieties, guests can take in the more than 15,000 cut blooms on display. There are also floral arranging demonstrations and live tuber dividing lessons daily. Local food and wine vendors and music acts round out the offerings, truly making the atmosphere as festive as it is beautiful.

A recent addition that keeps growing is the farm's unique gift shop. Filled with a wide array of merchandise from local vendors, they have everything from cute gifts for that hard-to-shop-for loved one in your life to various gardening products to help you grow whatever dahlias you buy from the farm. 

This year's festival is Aug. 24-26th and August 31 through September 2 from 10 am to 6 pm. For the full schedule and line up, visit their event page. To get a sneak preview of just how gorgeous it is, watch our live video from a few year back, below.

If you're feeling adventurous, kick off the event with the 8th annual Canby Dahlia Run. You could easily make a weekend of the visit, touring several other great farm attractions around town with the Canby Farm Loop. If you're a wine lover, Canby has some top-notch producers with St. Josef's Winery and Whiskey Hill Winery. And of course no trip to Canby is complete without a ride on the historic Canby Ferry, one of the last ferries operating on the Willamette River.