Steveston, British Columbia –

It's Canada's Biggest Little Birthday Party, the annual Steveston Salmon Festival. This 63rd annual event is expected to draw more than 75,000 visitors from across Richmond and the province’s lower mainland to celebrate Canada Day on July 1.

The main attraction is the famous Salmon Barbecue when more than 1,200 pounds of wild salmon fillets are grilled over open fire pits, a sell-out every year. The barbecue starts at 11 a.m. and runs until it’s sold out.

Festivities start at 8:30 a.m. with a Pancake Breakfast followed by a Kids Bicycle Parade at 9:30. At 10 a.m., crowds gather at historic Steveston Village to watch the Canada Day Parade until around 12:30 p.m., when the Opening Ceremony on the Main Stage officially kicks off the event.

The Art Show and Exhibit was first introduced last year. Festival highlights also include the Japanese Cultural Show, craft fair, trade show, martial arts demonstrations, Belt Sander Drag Races, a youth festival, a multi-ethnic food fair, and the ever popular carnival and midway.

"This festival, first held in 1945 to raise money to build a playground, celebrates our agriculture and fishing heritage," says organizer Janice Froese. The valley is the third largest producer of cranberries in the world and the second largest producer of blueberries in the province. (604-718-8094; www.stevestonsalmonfest.ca)