Biggest salmon barbecue in B.C. booked for inaugural Celebrate BC festival in Coquitlam

Coun. Matt Djonlic; Ryan Drew, Director S.U.C.C.E.S.S; Minister Spencer Chandra Herbert; Minister Jodi Wickens; Stephen Armstrong, Kwikwetlem First Nation; Queenie Choo, CEO S.U.C.C.E.S.S; Coun. Trish Mandewo at the announcement event on July 8. Allen Lau photo supplied Province of B.C.

A new event is set to make a splash this B.C. Day.

Celebrate BC is a free all-ages festival at Town Centre Park in Coquitlam scheduled for Aug. 4 and featuring what organizers are calling the largest salmon barbecue in B.C. history.

Announced July 8, the one-day festival will be hosted by S.U.C.C.E.S.S. in partnership with the City of Coquitlam and guided by the Kwikwetlem First Nation. It aims to honour the diverse cultural heritage of the province through music, food, art, and storytelling.

At the heart of the festival will be a massive culinary undertaking: 2,000 pounds of wild salmon, barbecued on-site by some of B.C.’s top chefs in a tribute to the province’s Indigenous traditions and coastal roots.

The historic feast will be hosted by the Kwikwetlem First Nation.

“Celebrating BC Day means celebrating the cultures, diversity and traditions that make up our beautiful province,” said Spencer Chandra Herbert, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “Our province is home to incredible creativity, from Indigenous artists to newcomers finding new ways to express their heritage.”

Festival-goers can expect a wide-ranging program of cultural experiences, including a live concert headlined by Juno Award-winning artist George Leach, an Indigenous fashion show presented by Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week, and a “Heritage Walk” spotlighting the stories of Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Chinese, and Indigenous communities.

Other attractions include a BC Wine Garden, a “Best of BC Pavilion” highlighting local talent and cuisine, zipline adventures, and traditional Indigenous storytelling.

“Celebrate BC is all about bringing people together,” said Queenie Choo, CEO of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. “It’s a chance for communities from every background to share stories, food, and traditions, and to celebrate everything that makes British Columbia such a special place to call home.”

Organizers say the event is envisioned as an annual celebration that reflects the dynamic voices and regions that make up B.C.’s cultural fabric.

Full performance lineups and programming schedules are slated to be released in the coming weeks.