Prince Rupert’s biggest weekend of the year drew thousands of people downtown and to the waterfront for the 48th annual Seafest, which wrapped up Sunday after three days of sports, entertainment, and a free Marine Careers Expo.
The festival, themed “Whale Tails & Ocean Trails,” ran June 12-14 and transformed the city with vendor markets, tournaments, and ship tours. Organizers with the Prince Rupert Special Events Society say the event has been a local tradition since 1978 and typically brings in more than 10,000 visitors.
Sports were a big part of the weekend. A 4-on-4 street hockey tournament and the Jim Ciccone Memorial 3-on-3 Basketball Challenge gave locals a chance to compete, while the Quick and Daring boat building competition on Third Avenue had teams building and painting vessels on Saturday before racing them on Sunday.
The Marine Careers Expo on Sunday at Cow Bay Marina offered ship tours of the Coast Guard vessel CCGS M. Charles. Representatives from the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Coast Guard, and groups like BC Ferries, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and BC Coast Pilots were on hand to talk about jobs in the marine industry.
The Prince Rupert Lions Club kept bellies full with a pancake breakfast and a show-and-shine car show in the Safeway parking lot, while the annual sponsor AltaGas helped keep the volunteer-run event going. This year’s festival logo was designed by local Ashley Wilson, with the theme chosen by Chrystopher Thompson through a community contest.
