The 78th annual Steveston Salmon Festival, one of the country’s largest Canada Day celebrations, returns to Steveston Village on July 1st.
Courtesy of the City of Richmond.
The day-long party fills Steveston Village with a community parade, live music, performances by local youth and professional bands, a variety of delicious food, and much more. This year’s festival will feature a family-friendly program that features the brand-new Salmon Run Zone. Located next to the newly refreshed Steveston Community Park playground — which will reopen in time for Canada Day — the Salmon Run Zone will offer face painting, interactive games, a youth-run concession stand, a small stage for live music by Richmond’s local youth, and a demonstration area for the Richmond Sockeyes junior ice hockey team.
Live music once again plays a key role in the Steveston Salmon Festival, with great line-up of acts gracing the stages from 12 to 7:30pm. Ten Souljers will headline in the Spirit of Steveston Zone, with additional performances by Dr. Strangelove and the Aristo-Cats. The BluesHawks, which melds boogie, swing, jump blues, and more, will headline the Catch of the Day Zone. Annual favourites are all returning this year.
Courtesy of the City of Richmond.
Food fuels the day as the Rotary Club of Steveston keeps hungry festival-goers supplied with hot pancakes from 8am in the Community Centre parking lot, while other mainstays like the Japanese-Canadian classic Chow Mein and the iconic Salmon Bake will be available throughout the day. Food is never far away, with more than 20 food trucks will be parked in Steveston to keep visitors fueled all day, including Beavertails, Cazba Persian Grill, Ponchos Tacos, Praguery, Tokyo Katsu-sand, Tornado Truck, Wakwak Burger, and more.
Kicking off the family activities at 9:30am, the Kids Bike Parade, open to all with no advance registration required, just show up with a decorated bike, scooter or wagon at 8:30am. The official Canada Day Parade will follow, from 10am–12pm, starting at Garry Point Park and ending at Moncton St. and Railway Ave.
More family-friendly entertainment pops up on every street corner, as roving entertainers this year include jugglers and stilt walkers.
Festival highlights include:
* Japanese Cultural Show: Cultural demonstrations and performances
* Art Show: Local artists showcasing their work
* Market Place: Community-run booths and individuals showcasing their wares
* And more free activations at the Steveston Museum, the Britannia Shipyards, National Historic Site, and the Gulf of Georgia Cannery
With so much to see and do at the Steveston Salmon Festival, it’s easy to spend the whole Canada Day taking in the village sites and sounds. To learn more about this year’s festival, visit stevestonsalmonfest.ca.