Aug 23–24: Richmond Maritime Festival Celebrates Steveston’s Nautical History
Aug 19, 2025
The Richmond Maritime Festival returns for its 22nd annual edition to celebrate the city’s diverse heritage at the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site on August 23 and 24, 2025. The festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday, from 11am to 6pm.
This FREE event is open to everyone and is for all ages.
The natural, nautical splendor of the oldest shipyard in British Columbia will come to life with maritime-themed activities over the festival weekend. Come and enjoy live music, food trucks, artists, and a display of beautifully restored wooden boats and ships.
Located along the Steveston Channel on the south arm of the Fraser River, Britannia represents an important era in the historical development of Richmond. Originally a cannery before being converted into a shipyard, the Historic Site today features 12 heritage buildings that tell the many stories of the multicultural residents and fisheries workers: Chinese, European, First Nations and Japanese-Canadians. Festival-goers can also tour many of the historic buildings, several of which have been restored to reflect their original roles in the West Coast fishing industry.
Highlights include:
- Carefully restored heritage boats, including the SS Master tugboat – at 103-years-old, this beauty is the world’s oldest working wooden-hulled steam-powered tugboat
- The ongoing and meticulous restoration of the Crystal S at the Richmond Boat Builders workshop
