Steveston Salmon Festival the place to be on July 1

By City of Richmond

One of Canada’s longest running and most popular community events, the annual Steveston Salmon Festival, is back on Tuesday, July 1.

A fun-filled, family-oriented day of food, music, performances and more is again presented by the City of Richmond, Steveston Community Society and Richmond Agricultural and Industrial Society across Steveston Village.

This is the 78th year of the popular one day neighbourhood-wide celebration which begins at 9:30am with the Kids Bike Parade.

That is followed by the official Canada Day Parade from 10:00am to noon, starting at Garry Point Park and ending at Moncton Street and Railway Avenue.

A major highlight of the festival is the Salmon Bake, which is just one of many culinary delights for visitors to experience. A pancake breakfast starts at 8:00am in the Steveston Community Centre parking lot at 4111 Moncton Street, and food trucks will be located throughout the festival to provide numerous culinary options all day. And, of course, the annual Steveston Salmon Festival would not be what it is without the classic offerings of Japanese-Canadian Chow Mein.

Two music zones will offer live performances at the festival from noon to 7:00pm. Among them is the popular Vancouver party bands Ten Souljers and Aristo-Cats, along with the iconic and multi-faceted six-piece Canadian dance band Dr. Strangelove. Powerhouse dance troupe The Lolas as well as a variety of roving entertainers and performers, including jugglers and stilt walkers, will keep crowds amused around the village throughout the day.

New and returning programs for this 78th annual festival include:

• The Japanese Cultural Show with demonstrations and performances
• Sammy’s Fun Zone where younger attendees can experience face painting, interactive games and button making
• A Youth Zone with music and games
• An Art Show featuring local artists and their work
• Programs and exhibits at the Steveston Museum and Post Office, the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site and the Gulf of Georgia Cannery

To learn more about this year’s festival, visit stevestonsalmonfest.ca.

About the Steveston Salmon Festival
The Steveston Salmon Festival began as a July 1 “Sports Day” themed event, which was held as a fundraiser to build a playground in Steveston Park in 1944. Today, it is one of the largest non-profit driven Canada Day celebrations in the country. There have been a myriad of changes since 1946 such as the parade route and, more notably, a name change from the Richmond Salmon Queen Carnival to Steveston Salmon Festival. While the selection of a Salmon Queen ended in 1986, other elements such as the salmon bake have remained.  The Steveston Salmon Festival pays homage to the community’s salmon fishing heritage, and the dedication of the citizens of Steveston still drives “Canada’s biggest little birthday party” each year.