Quick Guide to the Swan Island Dahlia Festival

The Swan Island Dahlia Festival is Oregon’s last great flower festival of the summer. These late bloomers last until early fall, looking their best after the tulips, irises, peonies, and roses have faded for the year. At the height of the season, hundreds of dahlia varieties bloom across nearly 40 acres at Swan Island Dahlias. The festival is free to attend and within easy driving distance of both Portland and Salem. After admiring the flower fields, stick around to enjoy live music and food cart snacks, all the makings of a perfect Sunday. Here is everything you need to know about visiting the Swan Island Dahlia Festival.

Know before you go

It’s free to visit the Swan Island Dahlia Festival. You don’t need a ticket or reservation.
Stay on the grass paths to avoid damaging the flowers.
Leashed dogs are welcome in the outdoor areas of the farm. Only service dogs can enter the gift shop.
Photography is allowed. It’s free to take photos during normal business hours. You can book a photography session after hours for a fee on the farm’s website.
Look for port-a-potties next to the parking lot.
There is a large picnic area next to the dahlia fields with many shaded tables. You can bring food or stop by the food carts. You can’t bring outside alcohol, but a cart at the farm sells beer, wine, and cider.
Smoking is not allowed on the farm, including outdoor areas.

When to visit

The Swan Island Dahlias is open to the public in August and September for the annual dahlia festival. Peak bloom varies from year to year, but mid-August until mid-September are usually the best times to visit.

I visited this year on August 9th, 2024. Many flowers were open, and I’d expect peak bloom to start in a week or two. There was also some wildfire smoke in the air when I visited, hence the gray sky in many of the photos. I went a previous year at the end of August, which was ideal. Tons of flowers were blooming and hadn’t yet started to wilt.

The farm is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 9 AM to 5:30 PM. It’s closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, except for Labor Day. The farm hosts a farmer’s market on Sundays and live music on weekends.

The Swan Island Dahlia Festival is popular and gets crowded. Weekends and midday times are the busiest, especially during peak bloom. The parking lot is large and meets demand. A benefit of designated walking paths around the flower fields is that photography is easier during busy times. Since no one is walking through the rows, it’s less challenging to get photos without a lot of people in them.

Parking

Parking at the Swan Island Dahlia Festival is free. When you enter the farm, you’ll see the large grassy field to your right with lots of room for parking. A staff member will help direct you to an open spot during busy times.

Terrain

The walkways around the dahlia fields are wide and flat grass paths. The other surfaces around the farm are mostly grass or pavement. I’d suggest wearing comfortable shoes for walking, but you don’t need to prepare for mud. The farm is stroller and wheelchair-friendly.

Things to do

Dahlia fields

No matter how many bells, whistles, and food carts there are, let’s face it, we’re all coming to this festival for the flowers. The fields at Swan Island come through with nearly 40 acres of gorgeous dahlias, each worthy of being a bouquet centerpiece. The fields showcase around 370 dahlia types, ranging from small, daisy-like blooms to enormous dinner plate-sized petal monsters. Their colors are just as varied, with bright white, electric orange, soft pink, and about every other imaginable hue represented in the fields. Petal shapes range from drinking straw-like cylinders to long, frizzy spirals. Make sure to head down to the far end of the field to find the little bonus field across the road. The goats in the neighboring pasture might come and say hi while you’re there.

Display garden

You’ll see Swan Island’s formal garden behind the fence near the picnic area. Here, dozens of dahlia varieties bloom side by side with some other flowers in the mix. It’s garden inspiration on overload, if, unlike me, you have a garden at home. Otherwise, it’s a lovely place for a relaxing stroll.

Picnics and food carts

Swan Island has a large picnic area next to the dahlia fields. Most of the tables are shaded. The farm allows outside food, so go ahead and bring a picnic lunch to enjoy by the flowers. The food carts next to the picnic area sell a little bit of everything from coffee drinks to ice cream cones to burritos. Outside alcohol isn’t allowed, but the Tap Trailer cart sells beer, wine, cider, and mimosas. If you visit on the weekend, look for live music performances near the picnic area.

Cut flowers and garden shed

One of the highlights of visiting a flower farm is getting a bouquet to take home. Swan Island doesn’t do U-pick flowers, so stop by the cut flower station to pick one up on your way out. The farm stocks the stand with its best cut flowers, preparing them each morning so that they’re fresh. A single bouquet is $12, three are $30.

You can also find potted dahlias for sale and a cute garden shed with any gardening supplies you might be missing.

Gift shop

Inside the large white barn is the newly renovated gift shop. It’s surprisingly light on the dahlia theme, or any flower theme for that matter, but it’s a fun place to browse. There is about every gift item imaginable if you have a friend with a birthday coming up. Or, I can save you some time by telling you the coolest things in the shop are the bars of soap with Lego people inside. Proving that I’m mentally still eight years old, in case there was any doubt.

Live music and special events

Swan Island hosts live music performances on weekends during the Dahlia Festival. You can also find special events happening throughout August and September like yoga classes and flower arranging. Most events require pre-registration. Check out the farm’s events calendar for details.

Getting there

Address: 995 NW 22nd Ave, Canby, OR 97013

To reach Swan Island Dahlias from Portland, take I-5 S until Exit 282 toward Portland-Hubbard Hwy, then continue for 1.1 miles. Turn left onto Arndt Rd NE. In 1.8 miles, continue straight onto S Knights Bridge Rd. In another 1.8 miles, turn left onto N Birch St. In 1.1 miles, turn left onto NW 22nd Ave. Look for Swan Island Dahlias on your left. The drive from Portland takes about 45 minutes.

Enjoy your visit to the Dahlia Festival!

With love,

Emma

Quick Guide to the Swan Island Dahlia Festival

Know before you go

When to visit

Parking

Terrain