Port Alberni Salmon Festival & Derby 2025
August 29 – September 1 – Labour Day Long Weekend
Each summer, volunteers, community partners, and the Salmon Festival Society gather on Tseshaht and Hupacasath territories to celebrate Port Alberni’s deep connection to salmon. The 2025 edition returns to Tyee Landing on the working waterfront with four days of angling, live music, kids’ activities, and the legendary Kiwanis salmon dinner.
What’s new for 2025
- Bigger top prize – $15,000: $5,000 daily first prize plus a $10,000 bonus for the largest Chinook.
- Expanded festival grounds: Weigh-ins remain at Centennial Pier, while vendors, food trucks, and the beer garden now spill along Harbour Quay for added space and shade.
- Artist & vendor call-out: Applications closed July 25; look for fresh local talent across the weekend.
First light on the inlet—derby anglers motor out toward Barkley Sound as the sun crests the ridge.
Derby essentials
| Details | 2025 Information |
|---|---|
| Fishing hours | Dawn – 3 p.m. daily |
| Entry fee | $50 per rod (buy at Port Boat House, Gone Fishin’, Breakers Marine, and more) |
| Weigh-station | Main scale at Centennial Pier (Harbour Quay) |
| Eligible waters | Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound & adjacent tidewaters |
Need the full festival schedule?
Family-friendly festival fun
Beyond the dock, the Youth Zone features casting games, marine touch-tanks, and face painting. Evening concerts light up Argyle Pier, and Sunday’s salmon dinner—prepared over open fireboxes by the Kiwanis crew—remains a highlight.
Cooling off with Kona Ice—young festival-goers show off their rainbow shaved-ice at the Salmon Fest food zone.
More Festival Fun (Cheer Them On!)
- Port Alberni’s Got Talent – Saturday, Aug 30 • 12:00 PM
Watch local dancers, bands, acrobats, singers, and more take the stage in this community talent showcase. (Performer registration now closed.) - Coastal Chowder Competition – Sunday, Aug 31 • 2:00 PM
Culinary teams battle for People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice honours. Swing by the Dining Zone to sample and vote.
Note: Entry deadline has passed, but public tastings are open while supplies last. - Dunk-Tank Fundraiser – times vary all weekend
Festival volunteers take the plunge to raise funds. Half the proceeds go to charities chosen by the “dunkees,” the rest supports rebuilding Salmon Fest infrastructure. Bring your throwing arm—or just enjoy the splashes!
Last year’s benchmark catch
In 2024, Surrey angler Sean Falkenberg claimed the $15,000 purse with a 28.8-lb Chinook caught at Pill Point. The all-time derby record—60 lbs 8 oz from 1982—still stands as the fish to beat.
2025 Derby Winner
Congratulations to Don Kimura, who landed a 30-pound chinook to claim the top prize of $15,000 at this year’s derby. More than 3,000 fish were weighed in over the Labour Day weekend—one of the strongest turnouts in recent memory.
Derby champion Don Kimura celebrates his 30-pound chinook—the winning catch of Salmon Fest 2025. Photo via Alberni Valley News.
Sunday’s top catch came from Keith Seidel with a 25-pound chinook, followed by Cole Robinson in second and past winner Corey Jones in third. The Tyee Club called it “the best in years,” and local fishers agreed the bite was steady throughout the inlet.
Quick-glance event info
- Dates: Fri, Aug 29 – Mon, Sept 1 (daily weigh-in closes 3 p.m.)
- Main site: Tyee Landing, 3300 Harbour Rd, Port Alberni (accessible parking & washrooms available, map)
- Contact: email hidden; JavaScript is required • pasalmonfestival.com
- Social: @PortAlberniSalmonFestival on Facebook & Instagram
Whether you’re rigging flashers at dawn or dropping by for dinner and dock-side music, the Salmon Festival is a welcoming way to share local culture and support healthy salmon runs for generations to come. Tight lines—see you on the inlet!