BC Shellfish and Seafood Festival Finally Here!

Events, Tours, Celebrities and Tastings from June 13– 22

The BC Shellfish and Seafood Festival kicks off this weekend with an exciting lineup of events, tours, celebrity chefs and tastings and, although a few events have already sold out, tickets are still available.

If you want to get outdoors and explore, take a tour. Comox Harbour Charters are offering The Land to Sea Tour and the River Sunset Cruise. The first takes one to some of the local hatcheries and seafood producers, with the second going to the Comox Estuary to see seals, eagles and all the other animals of this protected and vibrant eco-system.

Harbour Air is offering exclusive to the festival Scenic Glacier Flights that will take guests on a 30-minute round trip aerial viewing of the island’s largest glacier. With 12 seats on each flight and only five flights available, tickets will be limited.

If a dining experience is high on ones list, 13 local restaurants are part of the Seafood on your Plate event running throughout the festival, as well as four main festival dinner events have been planned. Although wine pairing is common, try something new and join the Westerly Restaurant for their Chef’s Beer Pairing Challenge 4-Course Dinner on Jun 21. Philips Brewery has teamed up with the Chef to pair beer with four creative courses in this sharing table setting!

If you want to hang out with celebrity chefs, judges and take in some great entertainment, the top choice would be Comox by the Sea Shellfish and Seafood Celebration on June 21 from 12-5pm. With acclaimed chefs Nathan Fong, David Sider, Aaron Rail and Quang Dang doing demos, and travel and food journalist Cinda Chavich and food columnist and author, Don Genova doing the judging of the Oyster Shucking and Chowder Competition, it is an impressive and exciting lineup.

For lower mainlanders, Harbour Air and Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community have also teamed up to bring a weekend package (June 20-22) that is definitely worth the mere $395 per person. This includes return flights from downtown Vancouver to Comox, a two night stay at Crown Isle Resort, 18 holes of golf on their course with Taylor Made club rentals, driving range, golf cart and a sleeve of golf balls, admission to the Comox by the Sea Shellfish and Seafood Celebration, Mile High Scenic Chair Lift Ride tickets for Mount Washington Alpine Resort and a shuttle service to all events and pick up and drop off at Comox Harbour.

This Festival, beyond the dinners, competitions, and festivities, is about celebrating the aquaculture industry in British Columbia, which is not only a vital part of the economy, but also enables producers and vendors to showcase the delicious regional bounty and the contemporary sustainable practices.

For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.discovercomoxvalley.com or call 1-855-400-2882. One can also join the conversation with the Vancouver Island Visitor Centre by visiting or using #BCShellFest. The VIVC is open seven days a week.