West Vancouver Coho Festival | Vancouver's Best Places

Ambleside Coho Festival

The Coho Festival in West Vancouver’s Ambleside Park is one of the North Shore‘s main festivals and takes place every fall on the second Sunday in September.

The Coho Festival is “a celebration of nature’s annual miracle of salmon returning to North Shore rivers and streams.” The festival features talks, displays, a salmon barbecue and live music. There is also a swim and pancake breakfast. Some years there is also the Coho Run, although not in 2025. Admission is free (or by donation).

TIP: While you’re at the festival, drop by the Ambleside Artisan Farmers Market. It takes place at the same park on Sundays between May and October (which includes the Sunday of the Coho Festival).

The Coho Festival in West Vancouver

In 2025 the event happens on September 7th. This year’s festival coincides with Grandparents’ Day which is on the same date. This makes it an especially great destination to take the multi-generational family.

The event is a nice festival honouring the coho salmon as they make their way back from the ocean to spawn in the Capilano River. The main part of this popular community event takes place at beautiful Ambleside Park in West Vancouver.

The Coho Festival is an especially good time to visit Ambleside as the place is typically full of people, live music, and community organization displays. Hundreds of people line up for the barbecued salmon lunch.

In addition, there is a beer garden on the sand at the beach, which makes this one of the few days of the year that you can drink alcohol legally at Ambleside. Even on a regular day, Ambleside is one of the Lower Mainland’s most beautiful beaches.

Entertainment Schedule

There is plenty of live entertainment to take in at the Coho Festival. Below is this year’s performance schedule, and further below is an example of what to expect at the Tent Talks.

Main Stage (in 2025)

12:00 pm – Randy Swallow Trio
1:00 pm – Official Welcoming & “Blessing of the Salmon” Ceremony
2:00 pm – Graham Brown Band
3:15 pm – Honeybear Band
4:30 pm – Steelin in the Years

Along with the main stage there is also a series of “tent talks” that are very educational. Below was last year’s schedule. 2025’s schedule will likely be comparable, but with exact details to be confirmed.

Tent Talks (in 2024)

12:00 pm – Salmon habitat restoration in Vancouver with Glen Parker
12:30 pm – Research on the freshwater impacts of climate change on salmon with Samantha Rhodes
1:30 pm – Safer, more plentiful waters for whales with Jessica Scott
2:00 pm – The unique story of the majestic White Sturgeon and conservation efforts for its recovery with Sarah Schreier
2:30 pm – Research on the impacts of tire tread chemicals on coho salmon with Tanya Brown

Coho Festival Main Stage — The Coho Festival’s Concert Stage

Coho Festival Salmon BBQ

A big part of the Coho Festival is the salmon barbecue. Last year it ran from 11:15 am until 5:30 pm. Proceeds from sales benefit wild salmon habitats on the North Shore.

A BBQ salmon plate a few years ago cost $15 and included a wild coho salmon fillet, salad and corn on the cob. There were also grilled salmon sandwiches for $10 as well as hot dogs ($5), corn on the cob ($3), side salads ($3) and non-alcoholic beverages ($2). Beer and wine were also available for $7 each. These prices will likely be a bit more in 2025, although exact details are to be confirmed.

TIP: Other Lower Mainland events that feature salmon barbecues earlier in the year include Sasquatch Days in Harrison Hot Springs in June, the Steveston Salmon Festival in Richmond on Canada Day on July 1st, and Celebrate BC Day in Coquitlam on BC Day in August. Mark your calendars for those events for next year!

The Coho Run

Another element of the Coho Festival most years is the Coho Run. Unfortunately, the run doesn’t happen in 2025 due to logistical problems. It’s scheduled, however, to return in 2026.

In years when it does takes place, the Coho Run is a 14 km race starting at 9:00 am on the same Sunday after Labour Day as the festival. The run starts at Kitsilano in Vancouver and ends at the beach at Ambleside on the North Shore.

The route goes along the False Creek waterfront and over the Burrard Street Bridge from Kitsilano Beach. Participants run along the seawall through Stanley Park and across the Lions Gate Bridge before finishing at Ambleside Beach.

Registration costs around $50 to $70 depending on when you register. The fee includes a souvenir t-shirt, breakfast, prizes and more. 2026 may or may not be similar.

The Coho Swim

An additional component of the festival is the Coho Swim. The swimmers follow either a 1.5 km or 3 km route along Ambleside Beach. While the festival doesn’t officially start until 11:00 am, the swim begins at 9:00 am.

This year registration for the swim costs between $65 and $90 and includes a t-shirt, swim cap, breakfast and other perks. (Note: Swimmers have to wear wetsuits.)

Check out the Coho Swim‘s official page for more information.

Environmental Stewardship

The Coho Festival is a “near zero-waste event” where most materials used are recyclable, reusable or compostable. The festival also encourages attendees to walk, cycle or use public transit as much as possible (although many people still drive).

Funds raised from the Coho Festival every year go to the Coho Society to support salmon habitat rejuvenation projects in the area.