Swan Island Dahlias Festival: A Must See in Oregon
Swan Island Dahlias Festival
Whether you’re a resident of Oregon or just traveling through our beautiful Beaver State in late summer, you MUST see the Annual Swan Island Dahlia Festival, held every summer in late August and early September. The photo you see above (variety “Coral Gypsy”) is just your run-of-the-mill bloom – one of millions! – that sway in the summer breeze when visiting Swan Island Dahlias in slow-paced Canby, Oregon.
This family-friendly, high energy gathering not only showcases the world-renowned explosive dahlia blooms for which Swan Island is known. This festival is complete with live music, delicious local food vendors, face painting and kid-friendly attractions, as well as everything a dahlia grower (or distant admirer) could hope for.
This year the Annual Swan Island Dahlia Festival took place during the last weekend in August and Labor Day weekend.
No matter which day you choose to attend, you’ll be amazed by the troves of people that travel sometimes hundreds of miles to see the largest dahlia farm in the United States. This year I chatted with a wonderful couple from the Seattle area, down for their annual trip to the festival. We swapped growing tips and favorite varieties while standing in line to speak with a dahlia expert and place our annual orders. The fields-turned parking lot are riddled with license plates from California, Arizona, Utah, Washington, Idaho and beyond. People travel from all around, year after year, to take in the breathtaking sights of every color you can imagine – dancing in the August sunshine.
Swan Island Dahlias Festival Activities
As far as I’m concerned… festival – schmestival. As an avid gardener and want-to-be dahlia green thumb, I’d be happy to just walk the fields of dahlia varieties, taking in the sights, oohing and ahhing with my fellow flower enthusiasts. But Swan Island has gone above and beyond, turning their summer bounty celebration into a full-fledged gathering, complete with food vendors, live music and so much more.
Each day, different musicians grace the covered stage and shaded patio area located between the massive dahlia fields and the gift shop. From bluegrass to alt country to jazz and acoustic melody makers, the music is a perfect accompanist to the beauty that is Swan Island. The covered area is packed with comfortable picnic tables and chairs, with food and drink vendors just steps away.
Food and Drink
Local food vendors are serving up the tastiest, freshest foods for a hot summer day. Countless food trucks line the narrow path that leads to (what seems to be) the inner workings of this thriving dahlia farm. Whether you favor the sultry tastes of slow-smoked barbeque or the flavorful fare of freshly made French crepes, there’s something for everyone in the family in the food trucks. In fact the food is so good, you better give yourself a good 15 minutes from “famished to eating” – the food carts are hopping and it’s easy to see why!
The Willamette Valley of Oregon is infamous for its vinyards and local brews. Help yourself to some adult libations while enjoying the live music and freshly-prepped fare.
Fresh-Cut Dahlias for Purchase
As you walk the long rows of these gorgeous flowers, you can’t help but want to have them. Like – possess them. Their beauty is difficult to capture in words, and even photos leave people in awe. It’s no wonder that fresh-cut flower sales at the Dahlia Festival are a major reason why people attend. Every other person is carrying a bouquet of dahlias from the mix-and-match fresh-cut dahlia stand.
Indoor Dahlia Display
As you walk down the narrow corridor of food vendors, stands and displays, suddenly to your left appears a sign that reads: “Indoor Display.” It’s kind of strange…just past the sign are more indicators that you’re on a working farm: tractors, workers, and equipment. I can only imagine the wooden pallet trays packed full of tubers after the fall dig. And down a steep slope that points nearly directly behind you is the large open door of a huge under-building space.
I love this photo of two sweet visitors to the Dahlia Festival! They remind me so much of…well, me!
This is the entrance to the Indoor Display. Note to all visitors: get ready to have your MIND BLOWN! If you thought the fields were amazing…things are about to get real.
As you enter the Indoor Display, it takes a few seconds to comprehend just what it is you’re seeing. On your left is a sinewing path of waiting people, in line to purchase their favorite dahlias. Then you start to notice the rest of the space.
First – the floors. They are covered in reddish-tinted wood shavings, almost like sawdust. Then I noticed room after spacious room, sprawling with their space-saving shelving and organized manner.
Then it hits me: today for the Festival, this is the “Indoor Display.” But come late fall and winter, this is where THEY store their dahlias! The sawdust on the floor is likely their storage media, and this spacious space is how a company like Swan Island keeps it all straight for their loyal customers.
Floor-to-Ceiling Dahlias
Dahlia arrangements are EVERYWHERE in the Indoor Display. Huge explosions of color and texture, all neatly marked with variety names. Thematic displays that fill the space tastefully.
My senses were on overload and awe at the sight of these lovelies up close.
The Indoor Display is a dahlia-lover’s wonderland. The cool air and spacious walkways make it a great place to get respite from the late summer sun. I stood in awe of the numbers of hours it must have taken to not only design this expansive display, but to meticulously construct each of these unique works of art displays.
And to think…they do this EVERY YEAR! I enjoyed in awe and wonder.
Learning from Swan Island Dahlias Experts
I strive each year to grow more beautiful, healthier dahlias. That’s why this was one of my FAVORITE elements of the Dahlia Festival – opportunities to learn!
Throughout the day there are seminars where experts from the Farm talk to Festival goers, sharing top tips for cultivating, dividing, growing, arranging and thriving at growing dahlias. These are down-to-earth, simple, casual seminars for growers like me.
I struggled last fall to figure out how to divide my dahlias. When I arrived at the Dahlia Tuber Dividing demo, it was packed with others (just like me – I’m not alone!) who needed tips and demonstrations to learn just how to divide the tubers for the best outcome possible.
I could have stood around and listened to everyone else’s questions for hours! I learned more about dahlia growing in the 20 minutes I stood there and listened than I had in the years of trial-and-error, on my own. You see, though dahlias aren’t the hardest flower in the world to grow – they are finicky! I learned helpful tricks to help my dahlias look like Swan Island’s dahlias – bountiful, lush, vibrant and prolific. This seminar made the trip 110% worth my time!
I wedged my way to the edge of the table; dozens of us crammed as close as we could to watch one of the top dahlia growers from the Farm describe, with incredible precision and actual tubers, how to divide them using the eye as a guide and a sharp knife as our tool.
What To Buy at Swan Island Dahlias
Of course, you need to buy dahlias! There are a handful of super helpful staff members stationed inside the Indoor Display to help you place your order. They offer great deals on dahlias if you attend the festival, including FREE DAHLIA TUBERS with your purchase of $50 or more.
In addition to scoring your own tubers or a beautiful bouquet of massive fresh-cut dahlias, Swan Island has a huge gift shop stocked full of everything you need to ensure that your dahlia garden grows gloriously. They have everything from soil amendments to bonemeal and diatomaceous earth, to organic pesticides and fertilizers.
One of my favorite stops on the tour is to the true gift shop, where sweet presents line the building from head to toe. There are wonderful gift ideas for the gardener in your life, greeting cards, presents for kids, yard decor, stationary, mugs, and so much more. This is not just a “Swan Island Swag” stop; it’s a bonafide gift boutique and a must-see if you’re headed to the Festival.
The farm is open year-round, and the gift shop is a perfect place to shop for holiday and birthday presents, too!
On my visit, I bought an indelible ink pencil (for writing the dahlia names on my tubers when I divide) and a few other gifts for family and friends. Money well spent!
Dahlia Photographs Galore
There is no other way to put this…photos taken at the Dahlia Festival are like none other! Using my iPhone 8 Plus I was able to capture some of the most stunning floral photos of my life. I had very little to do with it. The quality of their dahlias are second to none, making this event a photographer’s dream!
And obviously the word is OUT! Throughout the property, dozens of photographers lugged their tripods and camera equipment from flower to flower, capturing the majesty that is each individual flower.
If you’re planning to attend, do make sure your batteries are charged, you have plenty of space on your memory card, and that you are going to have your mind boggled by the quality of images you can capture.
We captured our family photos for the upcoming holiday season. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up!
Dahlias taller than a child! It’s truly a wonderland for people of all ages.
Getting There
Swan Island Dahlias is open year-round (the gift shop – oh my!) and is located a short drive between Salem and Portland at:
“Voodoo”
Other Must-Visit Locations in Oregon
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Have you been to the Swan Island Dahlia Festival? Are you a dahlia grower? Tell us here! Let’s chat about our favorite flowers, our favorite varieties, and share the love!
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