\u2018Wailin\u2019 Walker headlines South Surrey\u2019s Salmon Sessions<\/p>\n
Published 12:00 pm Saturday, May 9, 2026<\/p>\n
The Salmon Sessions festival will return to South Surrey this August with a showcase emphasizing blues-rock favourites and standout local talents.<\/p>\n
The performer lineup will include Vancouver and White Rock legend Al \u2018Wailin\u201d Walker and his band; and popular Peninsula-based blues attraction the James Shepherd Band.<\/p>\n
Also featured will be the rising talents of Three Nines Fine, Generous Thieves, Westwood Theory and Rowan (formerly known as Sophia Bouvier).<\/p>\n
The festival returns Saturday, Aug. 22, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. to the grounds of Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club, 1284 184 St.<\/p>\n
Festival proceeds once again support the Little Campbell Hatchery, a completely volunteer-run community asset that helps sustain salmon populations and protect the region\u2019s natural ecosystems.<\/p>\n
\u201cSalmon Sessions is about celebrating the incredible talent in our own backyard while supporting something bigger,\u201d said Little Campbell Hatchery Society president Diana Barkley.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a day where music, community, and conservation come together in a meaningful way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Festival director Dione Costanzo said that the carefully curated lineup of artists includes many with strong ties to the local music scene.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlending seasoned blues-rock performers with a new generation of emerging artists, this year\u2019s festival promises an authentic, feel-good day of live music and community connection,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Topping the bill is White Rock resident Walker, a blues mainstay whose career spans more than five decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnown for his signature guitar style and deep roots in rhythm and blues, he brings a performance shaped by experience, passion, and a lifelong connection to the genre,\u201d Costanzo said.<\/p>\n
His all-star band includes keyboardist Dave Webb, saxophonist Jerry Cook, drummer Marko Ibarra and bassist Bruce O\u2019Neill.<\/p>\n
White Rock-based guitarist Shepherd, backed by bandmates Mike Ellerbeck (bass) and Ian Paxton (drums and vocals), has also built a strong local following blending rock and blues with his expressive playing, Costanzo noted.<\/p>\n
Vancouver five-piece rock band Three Nines Fine comes to the festival fresh from a recent victory in a White Rock Battle of the Bands hosted at The Beer Shack; while Generous Thieves is a reggae fusion group with international roots \u2013 they built a fanbase in Japan before returning to share their sound with local audiences.<\/p>\n
Westwood Theory is a young B.C. band that came together during school jam sessions but has quickly gained broader attention for its original sound and natural chemistry.<\/p>\n
Rowan, accompanied by guitarist Jim Black, bass guitarist Aaron Skepast and drummer Rishi Dhillon, is a White Rock multi-instrumentalist who began busking at age eight and now performs original music notable for its blend of vintage and contemporary influences.<\/p>\n
Attendees at the family-friendly event can also explore an artisan market, take part in hatchery tours, and enjoy a beverage garden featuring Three Dogs Brewing and Fraser Valley Cider Company, and showcasing local craft producers.<\/p>\n
Tickets, including General and VIP options, and free entry for children aged 12 and under, are available from https:\/\/www.zeffy.com\/en-CA\/ticketing\/4th-annual-salmon-sessions-music-festival<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u2018Wailin\u2019 Walker headlines South Surrey\u2019s Salmon Sessions Published 12:00 pm Saturday, May 9, 2026 The Salmon Sessions festival…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":658888,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194299],"tags":[903,49,48,87674],"class_list":["post-658887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-surrey","tag-british-columbia","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-surrey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=658887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658887\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/658888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=658887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=658887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=658887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}