There’s plenty to do, on both land and water, starting Friday during the Ships to Shore King of the Sea festival in Steveston.
For music lovers, there’s free, headline concerts by Alan Doyle and the Beautiful Gypsies (Saturday) and Dear Rouge (Friday), plus other live music and performances throughout the day Friday to Sunday.
A collection of 10 carnival rides, including a Ferris wheel will provide an aerial view of the 361-foot-long,Kaiwo Maru, which is docked at Garry Point Park.
A maritime-themed Kids Cove children’s area will feature live entrainment and hand’s-on activities. Plus, roving performers, including a special appearance by Dora the Explorer and Diego, will entertain. And if you’re hungry, there will be food trucks to cater to all tastes.
And there is a fireworks display Saturday night at Garry Point Park.
But the centrepiece of the three-day festival is the Kaiwo Maru. And one of the don’t-miss highlights of the Japanese tallship’s visit to Richmond is the ceremonial sail drill, which will be held Saturday from 2 - 3:30 p.m.
That’s when the 200-person crew aboard the “King of the Sea” will climb high into the ship’s four masts, that top out at over 180-feet high, then carefully inch out onto the thin wooden spars of each mast to unfurl nearly 30,000-square-metres of sail, with ceremonial flair.
Free public boarding of the Kaiwo Maru will be offered during the Ships to Shore King of the Sea Festival on Friday and Saturday. Advance passes are already fully booked. A limited number of boarding passes will be available on site for Friday and Saturday on a first-come-first served basis starting at 8:45 a.m. from the ship information tent.
Boarding passes will be limited to six per household. A standby line will also be available. As an alternative to boarding the ship, dockside and other viewing opportunities are available.
You can also enter a contest for a trip to Japan.
Ships to Shore King of the Sea runs Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission to the festival is free. For a full event schedule and additional event details visit ShipsToShore.ca.
