The 72nd White Rock Sea Festival & Semiahmoo Days celebration, presented by Waste Connections of Canada, returns August 4 - 6, 2023, with free family-friendly activities and entertainment, including fireworks on Saturday evening.
The festival kicks off on Friday, August 4, with an outdoor movie showing of “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3” in Semiahmoo Park. Bring your chairs and picnic blankets early to get a good spot. The movie will start at dusk at approximately 9:15 p.m.
Two stages will be alive with entertainment both Saturday and Sunday: The P’Quals Memorial Park Stage in Memorial Park and the Spirit Stage in Semiahmoo Park. Saturday headliners will rock the night away in Memorial Park with Dr. Strangelove at 8:30PM and at Semiahmoo Park with Take it to the Limit, an Eagles tribute band at 6PM. Music through the eras will transform Memorial Park on Sunday with music from the 1920s to 1970s, with headliner Ladies Sing the Blues at 6 p.m. Closing out the Spirit Stage on Sunday 6 p.m. at Semiahmoo Park will be a performance by White Rock-born West Coast singer/songwriter, Daniel Wesley.
Semiahmoo Park will offer delicious food and family entertainment, including the Semiahmoo First Nation’s famous salmon barbeque from 12 (noon) to 6 p.m. (or until the salmon runs out) on both days. The family favourite Kid Zone will have free face painting, balloons, mini golf, a meet and greet with princesses on Saturday and mermaids on Sunday, and a giant bouncy pirate ship and mini golf setup on both days. New this year is an Indigenous Market featuring art, décor, jewellery, and more, located steps from Semiahmoo Park.
Also new this year is the Environmental Zone at East Beach, where you will learn about the ocean and Boundary Bay habitat with waterfront guided walks, environmental education booths and an interactive build-a-whale puzzle exhibit made from the actual bones of a killer whale.
Memorial Park will have live entertainment and performances, a mechanical surfer machine, a 25-foot climbing wall, mermaids, a sand sculpture display, and vendors along the Promenade.
Fireworks, sponsored by Thrifty Foods, will light up the skies with a spectacular display on Saturday starting at 10:15 p.m. View the show from anywhere along the waterfront.
“White Rock Sea Festival and Semiahmoo Days is a real community favourite,” said White Rock Mayor Megan Knight. “The waterfront will be in full swing once again over August long weekend with concerts, fireworks, and a ton of family-friendly activities. We hope people will join in the fun.”
“We look forward to bringing back Semiahmoo Days this year together with White Rock Sea Festival,” said Chief Harley Chappell, Semiahmoo First Nation. “We have a new Indigenous artisan market this year as well as our traditional salmon bbq, kids’ zone, and free outdoor movie on Friday night. We have also added some great concerts and entertainment in Semiahmoo Park.”
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia. This event is made possible with the support of our sponsors, including Platinum Sponsors KPU Kwantlen Polytechnic University, TYBO Contracting, Gold Sponsor Corrcoat Services, Silver Sponsors Alpin & Martin Engineering, B&B Contracting, Blue Pine Enterprises, Emerge Modular, McElhanney, MNP, Port of Vancouver, and PTW Energy, Legacy Environmental Media Sponsor Global BC, and our community sponsors.
For the full event schedule, visit www.whiterockcity.ca/seafestival