Pink Salmon Festival

The Pacific Salmon Foundation’s Pink Salmon Festival is happening Sunday, August 25, 2013 at Vanier/Hadden Park in Kitsilano.

From 12:00pm until 5:00pm participants will be able to sample pink salmon prepared by local chefs including Robert Clark (formerly of C Restaurant) , Ronnie Shewchuk (international BBQ winner) and Garrett Schack (Chateau Victoria). All sampling is by donation.

Organizers say the festival is to celebrate the return of the pink salmon. With 9 million pinks forecasted to flood the Fraser, and recent reports of Sockeye collapses, the message is that Pinks are a tasty and sustainable alternative to other species:

We, as consumers, have the power to ensure that salmon have a healthy future in BC. Salmon are a keystone species in British Columbia from a cultural, environmental and economic perspective. Pink salmon, which are expected to be particularly abundant this year in the Fraser River, have the ability to serve as an abundant human food source while also adequately supporting ecosystems that depend on them for survival. Pink salmon can truly be sustainable seafood in practice and not just words. [Pink Salmon FAQ]

The Pink Salmon Festival will not only have tasty samples but this family-friendly event will include live music, interactive displays, and more. Follow the Pacific Salmon Foundation on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about this event and the PSF’s various initiatives.

Update I received an email from Elayne with the PSF who let me know that after the event they had plenty of leftovers — 650 pounds of pink salmon donated by Canadian Fishing Company/Goldseal. It didn’t go to waste though, it was donated to the Union Gospel Mission in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.