Sammy the Salmon

Richmond celebrates Canada Day with the Steveston Salmon Festival which includes a parade, salmon BBQ, live music and other activities in Steveston Village.

The festivities happen on July 1st, which in 2026 is a Wednesday. The Steveston Salmon Festival is a terrific event and one of the best Canada Day celebrations in the Lower Mainland. It calls itself “Canada’s biggest little birthday party.”

(Note: The above photos is of Sammy the Salmon by Jon Benjamin.)

Visit the Steveston Salmonfest website for full details about this event.

Canada Day Celebrations — (Photo by Jon Benjamin)

Steveston Salmon Festival on Canada Day

The historic fishing town of Steveston Village is an interesting place to visit any time of year, especially on July 1st during Richmond’s main Canada Day celebrations.

As many as 70,000 people turn out for the Salmon Festival each year to enjoy its many activities including a Japanese cultural fair, art show, live music and a famous salmon barbeque.

Steveston Salmon Festival Canada Day Celebrations

Highlights of the 2025 Steveston Salmon Festival included the following:

Art Show – plenty of paintings and other pieces of art from local artists on display at Steveston Community Centre.
Japanese Cultural Show – there were cultural displays, craft activities and traditional performances and demonstrations at the Japanese Cultural Centre.
Kids’ Bike Parade – families with young children showed off their decorated bikes, scooters and wagons at 9:30 am.
Marketplace – a variety of vendors and exhibitors at The Net Shed.
Parade – classic vehicles, fun floats, marching bands and other parade entries hit the streets at 10:00 am.
Catch of the Day Zone – where you could find live entertainment.
Salmon Run Youth Zone – a new area in 2025 around the outdoor tennis courts by the Steveston Community Centre. It’s where you could find circus arts, dancing, golf, road hockey and other activities for youth.
Spirit of Steveston Zone – the place for live performances and adult beverages between 12:30 pm and 7:00 pm.
Festival Foods – the festival is famous for its Salmon Bake where you could get a barbecued salmon filet dinner that came with a bun, potato salad, chips and a drink for $22. There was also a Chow Mein booth and a pancake breakfast, plus lots of food trucks.

In addition to the above, there are so many other activities at the event. Visit the Steveston Salmon Festival‘s website for the full list of things to see and do.

Girls in Steveston Parade — Canada Day Parade in Steveston Village

Steveston Salmon Festival Parade

The parade is a good one and it starts at 10:00 am. It begins at Garry Point Park before heading east along Chatham Street. It then turns south on Third Avenue, then east on Moncton which is the village’s main street. The parade passes landmarks like the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, Steveston Museum & Post Office, Steveston Tram and Steveston Community Centre. The procession goes halfway down Moncton Street before finally finishing at Railway Avenue.

The parade usually features a variety of floats, marching bands, classic cars, dancers and other traditional parade and community organization entries.

Note: Before the parade and during it there is a pancake breakfast. It runs from 8:00 am to 11:00 am (which is nice for all the participants in the parade). The cost for the breakfast is by donation (with a minimum amount of $5).

Click StevestonSalmonfest.ca for full details about this festival.

Canada Day Parade (Photo by Jennifer Strang)

Entertainment Lineup

The program for the Canada Day festivities in Steveston Village in 2025 included the following stages and performers.

Spirit of Steveston Stage

12:00 pm – Midnight Cruiser Band
12:30 pm – Welcome Speeches
1:15 pm – Supercramp
2:20 pm – The Whiskeydicks
3:20 pm – Dr. Strangelove
4:20 pm – The Aristo-Cats
5:45 pm – Ten Souljiers

Catch of the Day Stage

12:00 pm – Oh Clementine!
1:00 pm – Kellie Haines Ventriloquist
1:45 pm – Karima Essa
2:45 pm – Norman Foote
3:45 pm – The Dimes
4:45 pm – The BluesHawks

Visit the Steveston Salmonfest website for full details about this event.

Spirit of Steveston Stage (Photo by Jon Benjamin)

Salmon Run Stage

12:30 pm – Perry Ehrlich’s Showstoppers
12:45 pm – The Buttery Biscuits
1:30 pm – Shuffle Space
2:15 pm – Richmond Delta Youth Orchestra
3:00 pm – Imitation Daves
3:45 pm – Melovia
4:30 pm – The Saints of Anastasia

Performances & Picnic at the Tram

12:15 pm – Swingout Richmond
1:00 pm – Stuart Alves
1:45 pm – Jess & Henry Unplugged
2:30 pm – The Good Vibe Guys
3:15 pm – Stuart Alves
4:00 pm – Jess & Henry Unplugged
4:45 pm – The Good Vibe Guys

Bayview Street & No. 1 Road

1:30 pm – Summer Breeze

You could expect to see roving performers at the event as well as circus performers, cartoon artists, soap bubble performers, ventriloquists and more.

Visit the Steveston Salmonfest website for full details about this event.

Sammy the Salmon in Steveston Village — Sammy the Salmon (Photo by Jennifer Strang)

Tips & Advice

Below are some tips and suggestions to help you make the most of your Steveston Salmon Festival experience on Canada Day.

TIP #1: There are lots of interesting things to do and see in and around Steveston Village, so combine your time at the Canada Day celebrations with a visit to some of the historic sites in the neighbourhood. Click Steveston Village for more information on the village in general and what there is to see.

TIP #2: If you plan to attend the parade, get there well before 10:00 am if you hope to find parking anywhere near the town centre. Otherwise, and likely even if you do arrive early, have patience and prepare to walk a fair ways.

TIP #3: There is no charge for admission at Parks Canada locations on Canada Day. That means on July 1st you can visit the Gulf of Georgia Cannery for free. It’s a great museum.

Visit the Steveston Salmonfest website for full details about this event.