Canada Day in Richmond is celebrated with the Steveston Salmon Festival which includes a pancake breakfast, parade and activities in Steveston Village.

2020 SALMON FESTIVAL CANCELLED!

On April 6th, 2020, the organizers of the Canada Day festivities in Steveston Village decided to cancel the 75th edition of the Steveston Salmon Festival due to concerns about public health and the novel coronavirus. This means that there was no parade, community barbecue or other festival activities on July 1st in 2020.

Although no major Canada Day events activities happened in Richmond this past year, online events did take place in other parts of the Lower Mainland. For details click 2020 Virtual Canada Day Events in Metro Vancouver.

For a list of other Lower Mainland events impacted by the pandemic, click Vancouver COVID-19 Event Cancellations.

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 2019 highlights of the Steveston Salmon Festival included the following (and we expect 2021 details to be similar).

Pancake Breakfast – running from 6:30 to 11:00 am and costing about $8. Bring cash as credit and debit cards aren’t accepted.
Kid’s Bike Parade – starting at 9:30 (anyone can join if they arrive before 9:15, and it’s free to participate).
Canada Day Parade – starting at 10 am at Garry Point Park along Chatham Street. It then turns toward the water on Third Street until it turns left along Moncton Street. Here it follows Moncton Street to the end at Railway Avenue. The parade is a pretty good one and typically features over 100 entries. Parade participants gather at Garry Point before starting their journey.
The Salmon Festival – the opening ceremony takes place at 12 pm and is followed by live entertainment on various stages 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 $16 per plate and running from around 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.
Canada Day Fireworks – they blast off at 10:15 pm at the waterfront.

Festival activities are spread out throughout the town, but centered in and around the Steveston Community Centre at 4111 Moncton Street. The festival boasts 10 stages and centres with performances happening throughout the day on each.

Girls in Steveston Parade — Canada Day Parade in Steveston Village

Entertainment Lineup

Below was the lineup for the 2019 Salmonfest. We expect 2021 performers to be comparable.

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 2019, with 2021 details expected to be similar:

12:00 pm – Salmon Festival Opening Ceremony
12:30 pm – The New Shackletons
1:30 pm – Krystle Dos Santos
2:40 pm – Line 49
3:50 pm – Urban Myth
5:00 pm – Bend Sinister
6:30 pm – 54-40

Performers on the Family Stage in 2019 included the following:

12:00 pm – Stories on Wheels: Middle Eastern Stories
1:00 pm – Terrance Wang Yoyo
2:00 pm – Uke Party
3:00 pm – Matt Henry: Comedy Juggling Stunt Show
4:00 pm – Winsome Kind

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.

TIP #3: There is usually no charge for admission at Parks Canada locations on Canada Day. That means that on July 1st you can visit the Gulf of Gulf of Georgia Cannery for free!