Even the rain couldn’t keep people away. Event-goers are still raving about a Campbell River tradition that made its long-awaited return over the weekend.
After facing cancellation last year due to COVID-19, the annual Salmon Festival was back at Nunns Creek Park for one day only this past Saturday. Usually, the event is held over a span of three days.
Kicking things off, the Campbell River Fire Department hosted a pancake breakfast. Then, later in the day, locals enjoyed an afternoon salmon barbeque and a beverage garden, along with a handful of activities for the kids. Local vendors also set up shop selling Scottish items.
Just like past years, the ‘Highland Gathering’ featured pipe band and Celtic band competitions, solo piping and drumming, plus heavy events and dancing.
“The gathering was extremely successful. I couldn’t have asked for better,” Salmon Fest and Highland Gathering chair Brian Shaw says.
According to Shaw, more bands turned out than expected. All in all, he says massed band numbers were in the hundreds, describing the day’s competitions as ‘ferocious’.
At 3:00 pm, the Campbell River Rotary parade kicked off at 13th Avenue and Dogwood Street, cruising through downtown to 16th Avenue, with a final stop at the park. People lined the streets, cheering on the floats as they passed by.
“Even though it was one day, it was better than ever,” Shaw tells My Campbell River Now. “The massed bands were wonderful, the parade went off without a hitch.”
He continues, “We even had a little bit of entertainment afterward, one of the pipe bands got up. We were going to have more, but we were flooded out.”
Shaw says things wrapped up by 6:15 pm or so, not too far off the anticipated 7:00 pm end time. “Everybody went home happy… but wet. What can I say, it was a great day.”
Next year, logger sports will be marking a return, Shaw says, adding that highland dance competitions should return in 2022 as well.
