South Surrey’s Salmons Sessions festival returns
Published 6:00 pm Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Live music meets conservation and education as one of South Surrey’s most meaningful events – the Salmon Sessions Music Festival – gears up for a fourth year.
The one-day event will return to the banks of South Surrey’s Little Campbell River, Saturday, Aug. 22 at Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club (1284 184 St.).
Running from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., the festival will combine music, local food, artisan vendors and community connection – all in support of one of B.C.’s oldest all-volunteer-run salmon hatcheries, the Little Campbell River Hatchery.
As in previous years, the event will bring together families, local businesses, artists, and environmental advocates for a celebration that “blends entertainment with impact”, according to a media release from co-organizer Penmar Community Arts Society.
Following significant damage to the facility from floods in 2021, ongoing community support helps strengthen and sustain operations as the hatchery builds toward a more resilient future, Little Campbell Salmon Hatchery Society president Diana Barkley noted.
And although a new hatchery is part of the long-term vision, funds raised this year will go primarily to immediate infrastructure upgrades and site improvements.
“People don’t always realize how fragile this hatchery is,” Barkley said.
”One bad flood, one broken pump — and thousands of fish might be lost.
”Salmon Sessions is our way of asking the community to help us keep going, and they’ve shown up, year after year.”
While the live music lineup will be officially announced on May 1, previous years have featured a satisfyingly diverse blend of locally and regionally-known acts.
Participants can also count on such family-friendly activities as viewing work by local artists, an artisan market (vendor applications are currently open), food trucks, sponsor and community organization booths and – of course – hatchery tours.
Organizers are currently seeking local businesses to get involved through financial sponsorships, in-kind contributions (which could include products, services, prizes, rentals and media support) as well as employee volunteer teams and community booth participation.
Sponsorship packages offer businesses brand visibility, on-site engagement opportunities, digital promotion, and meaningful community impact, they note.
The entirely volunteer-operated Little Campbell River Hatchery releases more than 100,000 salmonids each year and has been praised for its vital role in conservation and education.
The hatchery estimates that, over the past four decades, it has released more than four million salmon into the river.
For further information on ways to participate in this year’s festival, as either a visitor or sponsor, visit www.penmar.ca