Explore Creston Valley

05/27/2026

The best view in the valley is the one you walk to.

From the valley floor you'd never guess how fast the land climbs. Take an easy loop through the flats, work up to the Skimmerhorn ridgelines, or find the lookout where the whole patchwork of farmland, wetland, and river opens up beneath you. Morning light is best, and the trails are quiet on a weekday.

Where should we point the camera next?

Plan your visit at explorecrestonvalley.com

05/25/2026

Some Mondays are worth slowing down for.

Creston's downtown runs on small shops and the people behind the counter who remember your order. Grab a coffee, find a sunny spot on the sidewalk, and watch a small mountain town wake up around you. The orchards are in blossom right now, so the whole valley smells like spring.

Slow start, good day.

Plan your visit at explorecrestonvalley.com

05/23/2026

Ten thousand acres of wetland, right in the middle of the valley. Close to 400 wildlife species use it. We won't try to list them all.

The Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area is one of the most biodiverse spots in BC, with over 300 bird species alone recorded in the wetlands. It sits on a major migration corridor, second only to the coast as a flyway route for the waterfowl that pass through twice a year. Tundra Swans, white-fronted geese, six kinds of grebe, and one of the highest densities of ospreys you'll find anywhere.

Walk the boardwalks, climb the viewing tower, and watch for the painted turtles basking on the logs. This weekend, bring your binoculars if you have them. Bring patience either way.

Plan your visit at explorecrestonvalley.com
Photo provided by Dylan Leayr

05/19/2026

May is the time to visit the heart of the Kootenays, a short drive from Nelson, Cranbrook, and just across the border from northern Idaho. The valley is green, the fruit stands are waking up, and the community is lively with events for every mood.

The next two weeks are stacked with activities. There's open mic night at Sternwheeler Craft Distillery, back-to-back farmers market Saturdays, live music at Jimmy's Pub, and duelling pianos at the Kootenay River Theatre to close out the month.

Lots of good excuses to make a weekend of it.
Full calendar at explorecrestonvalley.com

05/15/2026

The Creston Valley Blossom Festival kicks off today!

Four days of parades, midway rides, live music, and small-town spring tradition rolling through downtown Creston from May 15 to 18. The festival has been running for 85 years, it's the weekend the whole valley comes alive. If you're visiting the Kootenays this long weekend, this is where you want to be. Pack a jacket for the evenings, comfortable shoes for the parade route, and an appetite for everything in between.

Friday.
Opening ceremonies at Kootenay River Secondary School with local bands, fiddlers, and a community choir. The first clue drops for the Hunt for the Golden Blossom, find the bloom hidden on public land near town and win $500.

Saturday.
The Blossom Festival Parade rolls down Canyon Street in the morning. That night, Five Alarm Funk headlines the CDCC Arena with the Valhalla Playboys opening and a beer garden running late.

Sunday.
Pancake breakfast at Holy Cross Catholic Hall, then the Karz in the Kootenays Car Show takes over downtown — classic cars and hot rods lining the street all afternoon.

All weekend.
The midway behind the Ramada Inn, a Pow Wow hosted by the Lower Kootenay Band, horse competitions at Creston Flats Stables, and the Children's Parade to close things out Monday afternoon.

Full schedule and event details at blossomfestival.ca
Plan your visit to the Creston Valley at explorecrestonvalley.com

05/14/2026

The Creston Valley Farmers' Market is in full swing.

Saturday mornings from May through October, ʔak̓uǂni Park fills up with the people who grow your food, raise your meat, bake your bread, and turn this valley's harvest into something you'll want to eat all week.

The valley sits in one of BC's most productive growing regions, a microclimate that ripens stone fruit, berries, tomatoes, and squash like almost nowhere else in the province. The market is where all of it lands first. Come early for the best of the morning's pick, stay for coffee on a bench, and leave with a tote heavier than you planned.

You'll find heritage tomatoes still warm from the field, peaches and cherries picked the day before, eggs from pasture-raised hens, raw honey from valley apiaries, sourdough loaves, hand pies, fresh pasta, cut flowers, soaps, ceramics, and woodwork from makers who live a few kilometres down the road. The vendors change with the seasons. The faces, mostly, don't.

There's usually a busker, often a food truck, and almost always someone you know.

When: Saturdays, 9am–1pm, May through October
Where: ʔak̓uǂni Park, Creston

Plan your visit at explorecrestonvalley.com

05/11/2026

Creston Valley's wineries are open.

You don't have to drive five hours to the Okanagan to taste BC wine. Three small-batch wineries sit right here in the valley, all within a short drive of each other, all pouring wines you won't find anywhere else.

Spend an afternoon tasting your way across the bench. Linger on a patio with a charcuterie board and the Skimmerhorns in the distance. This is the kind of wine country where the people pouring know your name by the second visit, and where the winemakers will tell you exactly what's in your glass.

Red Bird Estate Winery
The Cardinal family planted their first vines in 2015 and now make some of the most experimental wines in the valley. Pinot Gris, rosé, sparkling, piquette, and a gamaret you can't taste anywhere else in BC. Small-lot, family-grown, always something new on the list.

Skimmerhorn Winery and Vineyard
The vines grow on benchland with the Skimmerhorn range as the backdrop. The cool-climate terroir suits Ortega, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer beautifully. Pair a flight with a charcuterie board on the bistro patio and you've got your afternoon sorted.

Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery
Named for the 19th-century adventurer who reshaped the Creston Flats, this Erickson winery keeps the spirit going with handcrafted, small-lot wines. Settle into the garden patio under the cedar pergola, work through a tasting flight, and let the staff walk you through what's in the bottle.

Plan your visit at explorecrestonvalley.com

05/08/2026

Moms of the Kootenays, this one's for you. 💐

Whether she loves birds, blooms, brunch or a good glass of local wine, the Creston Valley has a slow Sunday with her name on it. Here are five ways to celebrate Mother's Day right here at home:

1. Catch a guided walk at CVWMA during Bird Festival by
2. Pick up fresh blooms from a local grower
3. Brunch and a scenic drive through the orchards
4. An afternoon at one of our valley wineries
5. A quiet wander at Ka Papa, Summit Creek or the wetlands

Tag a mom who deserves a slow Sunday in the valley, and for more help planning her day, visit https://explorecrestonvalley.com

04/30/2026

April showed up in all the right ways in the Creston Valley 🌿☀️

Longer days, fresh colour coming back to life, and that shift in the air that pulls you outside a little more each day. All the blossoms popping up are a pretty good hint at what’s on the way… fruit season isn’t far behind! 🍒🌸🐝

If you’ve been out soaking it in, we want to see it! Share your spring photos and tag us so we can follow along 📸🌷

04/29/2026