Port Alberni's Salmon Festival has returned.
The annual festival, which takes place over Labour Day weekend alongside a salmon derby, hasn't happened in full form in Port Alberni since 2019, mostly due to COVID-19 and a dwindling lack of volunteers. The Alberni Valley Tyee Club took over the derby in 2020 with the hopes that one day a festival would re-grow around it. Now, those hopes are becoming a reality.
Community members stepped up over the past couple of years to offer events or live music at Harbour Quay at the same time as the derby, to keep the interest alive. This year, a more formal effort was made to resurrect a Salmon Festival committee.
Jessica McGregor, radio & digital account executive for 93.3 The Peak, says that she got together with Carolyn Jasken of the Tyee Club and Carmela Ferro of the Port Alberni Port Authority at the beginning of the year to discuss how they could bring back the annual festival.
With help from former committee members, they reactivated the Salmon Festival Committee and partnered with some other community groups and businesses, including Alberni Valley Tourism, Party Decor & More, Tseshaht First Nation and the Community Arts Council of the Alberni Valley.
"We've kind of been going from there, trying to find the best way to bring back the things people loved about the Salmon Festival," said McGregor.
The Salmon Festival re-launch will take place from Friday, Aug. 30 to Monday, Sept. 2 at Tyee Landing on Port Alberni's waterfront. One of the most popular aspects of the festival, the beer garden, will be returning. It will be hosted by Twin City Brewing and will feature all-local brewers, including Dog Mountain Brewing, Antidote Distilling Co. and Cherry Creek Cidery.
A kids' zone will feature bouncy castles and a "mini boat show" will be on display at the entrance to Tyee Landing. So far, the event has 15 food and shopping vendors arranged for the weekend, although McGregor says organizers are still trying to get more on board. The Salvation Army will be running a kids' bullhead derby at Harbour Quay on Saturday, Aug. 31 from 9-11 a.m. (separate from the bullhead derby organized by the Alberni Valley Lions Club on Aug. 24).
There will be an entertainment stage, provided by Five Acre Events Co., with musical entertainment throughout the weekend. The headliner on Saturday night (Aug. 31) will be Cameron Whitcomb, a top 20 American Idol contestant with a significant social media following.
"He's got lots of local ties here," said McGregor. "He has family here. His career is on the rise right now, so we're lucky we got him."
Alberni Teens Can Rock will once again be running the popular karaoke contest on Saturday afternoon, but this time it has been transformed into a full-fledged talent show called Port Alberni's Got Talent. People can apply for the talent show online at www.pasalmonfestival.com.
"It's open to singers, dancers, musicians — really, any kind of talent," said McGregor.
A couple favourites will be missing from the Salmon Festival — while there will be a traditional salmon barbecue, it won't be the "famous" salmon dinner run by the Kiwanis Club. There also will be no fireworks show, mostly due to the risk of fire. However, McGregor says organizers are "in talks" to make sure both of these happen for next year's event.
Despite the changes, the main event of the Port Alberni Salmon Festival has stayed the same: fishers will spend the four-day weekend competing to catch the biggest salmon for a cash prize of $15,000. There will be cash prizes for the three largest salmon caught each day, as well as other daily prizes and hidden weights. Winners will be announced on Monday after the weigh station closes at 3 p.m.
Tickets for the salmon derby can be purchased at Gone Fishin' in Port Alberni on the corner of Johnston Road and Margaret Street.
McGregor says the response from the community has been overwhelming so far.
"We're expecting it's going to be a large crowd," she said. "People are really excited about the return of the Salmon Festival. This is only our first year, so it's only going to get better. As soon as this one ends, we'll be working on next year's festival. It's definitely not going away."
Interested volunteers and vendors can sign up for the Salmon Festival online at www.pasalmonfestival.com.
