Summer in Richmond is not complete until the Richmond Maritime Festival comes to town.
The 8th annual ode to all that is seafaring in Steveston comes to our shores from Aug. 5 to 7.
This year is bigger and better with interactive displays, roving performers, and nonstop entertainment, said Sandi Swanigan, manager of major events with the city of Richmond.
"Initially, the festival was just about the boats but now it's evolved and expanded a thousand fold," Swanigan said.
"We will have boats, such as the beautiful HMCS Oriole, which is the oldest sailing ship in the Canadian Navy, and the refurbished tugboat, SS Master, as well as a full slate of activities all over the site itself."
It promises, she added, to be a robust and diverse festival, with a large presence from local actors, performers in period costumes and artists.
"We are going to have various zones and in each zone there will be activities to take part in . all the zones flow from each other."
Last year, more than 16,000 people from all over the Lower Mainland attended the three-day maritime event.
This is just a sneak peek of what you can expect at the 8th annual Richmond Maritime Festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at the Britannia Heritage Shipyard, 5180 Westwater Dr. in Steveston.
The festival, which is part of the city's new Richmond Days of Summer, is free for all ages.
For a complete listing of all the entertainment, exhibits and activities, visit www.richmondmaritimefestival.ca.
Note: Next week, Wednesday, Aug. 3 and Friday, Aug. 5, the News will be running longer features about some of the special events happening during the festival.
