Celebrate BC Festival

Celebrate BC is a festival celebrating BC Day which is a statutory holiday in August. The event takes place in both Port Moody and Coquitlam.

In 2026 the festival celebrates its second year with not just one, but two events. This year the free, family-friendly event happens once again at the park in Coquitlam on BC Day, which is August 3rd this year.

New for 2026, however, is another event that happens two days earlier, on Saturday, August 1st, at Rocky Point Park in Port Moody.

Visit the Celebrate BC website for full details about this festival.

Celebrate BC Festival in 2026

BC Day is a statutory holiday on the first Monday in August each year. Various events take place that weekend throughout the Lower Mainland. One of the biggest celebrations is the Celebrate BC Festival. After debuting in Coquitlam last year, the festival is back in 2026. This time it’s even bigger, with two events at two different locations.

The celebrations are still free to attend and open to the public. There’s a wide range of activities and entertainment. Everything about the event focuses on British Columbia, its multi-ethnic culture, foods, wine, people and history.

When and Where?

The second annual Celebrate BC event kicks off on Saturday, August 1st. Celebrations on the first day are held at Rocky Point Park, located at 2800 Murray Street in Port Moody.

Festivities continue on Monday, August 3rd, but at a different location. The Monday event happens at Town Centre Park in Coquitlam, which is the same venue as last year. Located at 1299 Pinetree Way, the park is right by the Lafarge Lake-Douglas SkyTrain Station.

Note: The BC Day Festival takes place on the traditional, unceded territories of the Kwikwetlem First Nation which is a partner in the event.

Visit the Celebrate BC website for full details about this festival.

What to Expect

The Celebrate BC event features all sorts of family-friendly activities. Last year all the festivities happened in Town Centre Park. But in 2026 there’s two days worth of celebrations to enjoy! As of late June there’s not yet a full schedule released of all of the activities and entertainment on offer, but we do know some of the major highlights.

Celebrate BC Food

One of those highlights is the giant salmon barbecue, described as the largest in the entire province. 2,000 pounds of salmon were sold at last year’s festival! Canadian celebrity chefs Ned Bell and Robert Clark return after wowing attendees in 2025, and are joined this time around by Alex Tung.

In addition to the barbecue, the first day of festivities in Port Moody begins with a BC Blueberries Pancake Breakfast. Featuring fresh, homegrown fruit, the breakfast is a great way to kick off the long weekend while enjoying the beautiful scenery along the water.

There are also plenty of food trucks and other vendors at the festival, including Bao Buns, Chai Wagon, Cotton Candy Kids, Juicy Green Express, Little Ootie’s Mini Donuts, REEL Mac and Cheese, Rotato Potato, and Tornado Potato. Last year there was a BC Wine Garden to pair with the salmon and other food. Hopefully it returns in 2026.

Other Festival Activities

Another component of Celebrate BC is an Indigenous fashion show presented by Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week. There are stories to hear from the Indigenous community, and the show showcases both traditional Indigenous fashion as well as contemporary designs.

Some new events happening in 2026 include canoe races at Rocky Point Park on August 1st, and the BC Fast and Furriest dog races at Town Centre Park on August 3rd.

There’s also a photo contest where anyone is able to submit a photo taken somewhere in BC that shows off the incredible beauty of the province. Submissions are open until July 31st before a panel of judges announces the winner on August 3rd.

Other highlights from last year’s festival included the Toys “R” Us KidZone. It featured a variety of games, interactive stations and crafts. There were also special appearances by popular characters. Celebrate BC’s inaugural edition also had a zipline adventure ride, another part of what was a great event to attend. Exact details for 2026 are to be confirmed.

Zipline at Festival — Festival Ziplining Tower

Celebrate BC Entertainment

There’s lots of free live entertainment at Celebrate BC. Performers in 2026 include Vancouver-based singer Dani Black, as well as Hidden Gem Dance Studio. There’s also a Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week show.

As of late June, other artists performing at the festival (and specific dates/performance times for each of them) are yet to be announced. Below is the 2025 Main Stage schedule (when the festival had just the one day and location), to give an idea of what Celebrate BC 2026 might look like.

Event and Entertainment Schedule

Below was the schedule of activities for the Main Stage in 2025.

11:00 am – Indigenous Welcome
12:00 pm – Opening Speeches
12:15 pm – Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
12:30 pm – Kickoff Surprise
1:00 pm – Hidden Gem Dance Studio
1:40 pm – Goh Ballet
1:55 pm – Bao Bao Dance
2:35 pm – Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week
3:30 pm – True Blues (band)
5:00 pm – Venus & Mars (band) – First Set
6:00 pm – Venus & Mars (band) – Second Set
7:00 pm – George Leach
8:45 pm – Closing Remarks

In addition to the above, the Salmon BBQ started at 11:00 am and ran until around 2:00 pm, or until the salmon ran out. The ziplining and Kids’ Zone activities ran from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm. There was also storytelling at 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm. The Beer & Wine Garden, meanwhile, was open until 7:30 pm, and the food trucks operated until 8:00 pm.

Salmon Barbeque at Celebrate BC

What food is British Columbia most famous for? Most people would say Pacific salmon. For that reason there is a massive salmon barbeque at the event, quite possibly the largest one in BC history.

TIP #1: If you want to get your salmon without having to join a big lineup (as the salmon will be super popular), pay for it in advance if possible. Last year you could skip the line and go straight to the grill with your pre-purchased Salmon in a Bun Ticket. 2026 details are TBC.

TIP #2: Get your salmon early, and definitely don’t wait until towards the end. It might be BC’s largest salmon barbeque ever, but it also sold out last year. If you wait until later in the afternoon the fish will likely be all gone.