White Rock Sea Festival

The White Rock Sea Festival is a free summer festival that includes live music, a salmon barbecue and fireworks on the BC Day Long Weekend in the summer.

The event also used to include a Torchlight Parade, but not for the past number of years. However, the Torchlight Parade is back in 2024 and happens on Saturday, August 3rd.

In 2023 the event took place from August 4th to 6th. Other events that happened on the August long weekend this past year included the Abbotsford Agrifair, Brigade Days in Fort Langley, Vancouver Pride Festival, Squamish Days and Vancouver Summer Festival. These events will likely happen again in 2024.

To learn about the above and other events happening on the same weekend, see Vancouver’s August Calendar of Events or click BC Day Long Weekend. To learn about what’s happening in White Rock, continue reading.

In 2024 the White Rock Sea Festival happens on August 2nd to 4th.

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White Rock Sea Festival

The White Rock Sea Festival is a fabulous event in a beautiful location. The waterfront in White Rock boasts over two kilometres of stunning sandy beach, numerous coffee shops and restaurants, and a lovely promenade walkway.

In years when it takes place, the festival offers everything from outdoor concerts and a vendor market to a wide range of family and child-friendly activities.

In 2022 the festival took place from July 29th to 31st. Last year the festival took place about one week later. It happened on August 4th to 6th. Activities usually include fireworks, an outdoor movie night, salmon barbecue, a car show and live entertainment.

When is the Festival?

The White Rock Sea Festival takes place over the BC Day Long Weekend each year. In 2020 the festival was supposed to happen on August 1st and 2nd, but it was cancelled because of COVID-19. The 2021 event was also cancelled. In 2022 the White Rock Sea Festival returned on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of July 29th to 31st.

In 2023 the festival happened on August 4th, 5th and 6th. This year, the festival runs from August 2nd to 4th.

Where is the Sea Festival

White Rock is located about 50 kilometres (or one hour in good traffic) southeast of downtown Vancouver close to the Peace Arch border crossing with the United States.

The White Rock Sea Festival happens all along the waterfront, from the far end of East Beach near the Ocean Promenade Hotel at 15611 Marine Drive to the far end of West Beach a couple of kilometres away.

Much of the event takes place in the central part of the waterfront, although not far from the pier and White Rock Museum at 14970 Marine Drive, but activities happen all over.

Sea Festival Night Parade — Torchlight Parade

Sea Festival Activities

There were lots of activities to enjoy at last year’s festival. The event began with an outdoor movie on Friday. The rest of the weekend featured kids activities, local vendors, an Environmental Zone and lots of live entertainment. These activities will likely feature again in 2024, although exact dates are to be confirmed.

Below was the schedule of some of the main events and activities at the White Rock Sea Festival in 2023.

Note: Times and details were subject to change.

Friday, August 4th, 2023

Movie Night

9:15 pm – Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 showed outdoors at Semiahmoo Park. Gates opened at 7:00 pm

Saturday, August 5th, 2023

General Saturday Activities

11:00 am to 4:00 pm – Environmental Zone at East Beach
12:00 pm – Salmon Barbecue (at Semiahmoo Park)
12:00 pm to 6:00 pm – Vendor Marketplace
10:15 pm – Fireworks (on the West Beach near the White Rock)

Spirit Stage in Semiahmoo Park

11:30 am – Opening Ceremonies
12:00 pm – Kwel Eng Sen Kids Dance
1:00 pm – Heidi McCurdy
2:00 pm – Ginalina
3:00 pm – Blue Sparks Blues Band
4:30 pm – Lawless
6:00 pm – Take it To The Limit Eagles Tribute Band

P’Quals Memorial Park Stage

12:00 pm – Emma Currie
1:00 pm – Ranj Singh
2:00 pm – The Seabillys
3:00 pm – Monkey Pants
4:00 pm – Chris Clute
5:00 pm – Ashley Pater
6:00 pm – The Promised
7:15 pm – The New Shackletons
8:30 pm – Dr. Strangelove

Sunday, August 6th, 2023

General Sunday Activities

9:00 am to 4:00 pm – Car Show (Semiahmoo Park Parking Lot)
11:00 am to 5:00 pm – Environmental Zone at East Beach
12:00 pm – Salmon Barbecue (at Semiahmoo Park)
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm – Kids Zone
12:00 pm to 6:00 pm – Vendor Marketplace

Spirit Stage in Semiahmoo Park

12:00 pm – Kwel Eng Sen Kids Dance
1:00 pm – M’Girl Indigenous Harmony Singers
2:00 pm – Famous Players
3:00 pm – Bargain Shoppers Club Brand
4:00 pm – Uncle Strut
5:00 pm – Earia
6:00 pm – Daniel Wesley

P’Quals Memorial Park Stage

11:00 am – Beauty Shops Dolls
12:00 pm – Frank Sinatra Tribute
1:00 pm – The Dimes
2:00 pm – Cheek to Cheek
3:00 pm – The Smooth Sailors
4:00 pm – Dynamics
6:00 pm – Ladies Sing the Blues

Tips & Advice

Below are some tips and advice on how to make the most of your experience at the White Rock Sea Festival.

TIP #1: Go at the very start of the day if you want to find parking anywhere near the beach. Take public transit if you can.

TIP #2: Take your swimsuit, hat, sunscreen, picnic, lawn chairs, sandcastle-building equipment, beach umbrella, water bottle and anything else you think you’ll need. Just remember, though, that parking will be a challenge and you may have to walk a fair ways.

TIP #3: The White Rock Farmers Market takes place on Sundays at Miramar Plaza up the hill in downtown White Rock from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. It’s a great market and worth checking out while in the area.

TIP #4: If you like cycling, don’t mind hills and have a bike rack, consider taking your bicycle(s) with you. Parking will likely be a long way away, but if at least the driver has a bike it’ll make it easier to get back and forth to your vehicle.