The Lumby area is about to celebrate the long and arduous journey of B.C.’s sockeye salmon run at the fifth annual Wild Salmon Festival.
This year’s festival will be held Sept. 12 and 13 in Lumby’s Community Park.
The Middle Shuswap Wild Salmon Society is declaring that week as Wild Salmon Celebration Week to raise awareness about the return of the wild salmon to the area with one of the largest sockeye salmon runs expected to make its way to Lumby’s Wilsey dam on the Shuswap River this year, said Lorelei Fiset, with the society.
“If a salmon passage was in place, many of these salmon would make it up to and past Cherryville. Unfortunately many will die trying to jump up the falls again as there will be no place for them to spawn downstream of the dam,” she said.
“The society would like to build community involvement during the course of the week and this declaration is one way to open the week up to other groups, individuals, and businesses who want to participate.”
Festival organizers have so far slated a number of top-notch local music acts for the celebration.
Starting on the Friday at 5 p.m. are performances by The Handles, The Mabel Lickers, Wheelhouse and Gallon’s Corner (tentative.) On Saturday, starting at noon, are Cadillac Bob, Linda-Sue Wilson Band, Cat Wells, The Keys, The Mabel Lickers, Christine Kendal-Ward, Rick Holloway, Manfred Harder, The Hippie Fish and others.
Also included will be music, dance and theatre workshops, a kids activity tent, local wild salmon information, food vendors, artisans, vendors and service organization booths, refreshments, door prizes, dancing, hang gliding and paragliding.
Visitors can also embark on an interpretive walk at the nearby Salmon Trail.
“Entry to the festival this year will be by donation at the gate and all the proceeds will go towards the cost of producing the festival, musician payments and wild salmon initiatives,” said music organizer Randy Rauck.
“Festival organizers appreciate the support of the Monashee Arts Council, and all of the other sponsors for their donations of funding, supplies, and time.”
Information on the Wild Salmon Festival is available at www.wildsalmonfest.com. For more on the Middle Shuswap Wild Salmon Society and its initiatives, visit www.wildsalmonsociety.com.
