Canada Day in Richmond is celebrated with the Steveston Salmon Festival which includes a pancake breakfast, parade and activities in Steveston Village.
Steveston Salmon Festival
The historic fishing town of Steveston Village is an interesting place to visit any time of year, but 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 and exhibits, car show, craft fair, music concerts and world-famous salmon BBQ.
Steveston Salmon Festival
In 2018 the Steveston Salmon Festival celebrated its 73rd year. Event highlights included the following:
- Pancake Breakfast – running from 6:30 to 11:30 am and costing about $8. Bring cash as credit and debit cards aren’t accepted.
- Kid’s Bike Parade – starting at 9:30.
- Canada Day Parade – starting at 10 am and going along Moncton Street, the parade is a pretty good one and typically features over 100 entries. Parade participants gather at Garry Point and then proceed along Chatham Street from 7th Avenue to 3rd Avenue, and then along Moncton Street to just past the Community Centre.
- The Salmon Festival – the opening ceremony takes place at 12 pm and is followed by live entertainment for the afternoon. Festival activities most years include a Japanese cultural show, horticultural show, children and youth activities and an artisan market.
- The Salmon BBQ – costing about $16 per plate and running from 11 am until all the food is sold out, over half an imperial ton of salmon fillets are BBQ-ed over open fire pits and enjoyed at the festival.
Festival activities are spread out throughout the town, but centered in and around the Steveston Community Centre at 4111 Moncton Street.
Click Salmonfest Map for an outline of where things take place.
Check out the Steveston Salmonfest website for more information on the event itself.
Salmon Festival Main Stage
The program for the Canada Day festivities in Steveston Village included the following performances on the festival’s Main Stage in 2018:
- 12:00 pm – Salmon Festival Opening Ceremony
- 12:30 pm – The Boom Booms
- 2:00 pm – Line 49
- 3:30 pm – Urban Myth
- 5:00 pm – Honeymoon Suite
- 7:00 pm – Scotty Hills
Performers on the Children’s Festival Stage in 2018 included the following:
- 2:00 pm – Charlotte Diamond and the Hug Bug Band
- 3:15 pm – Angela Brown’s The Ta Daa Lady
- 4:25 pm – Matt Henry Trained Human
Tips and Advice
Below are some tips and suggestions to help you make the most out 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. For more information on the village in general and what there is to see, click Steveston Village.
TIP #2: If you plan to attend the parade, get there well before 10 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.
Other Information
For more on Richmond’s Canada Day celebrations, see the Steveston Salmonfest website.
For ideas on things to do on Canada Day in other parts of the Lower Mainland, see Vancouver Canada Day Celebrations.
And for a list of major events at other times of the year, see Vancouver’s Festivals & Events Calendar.
