Salute to the Sockeye
The Adams River runs red. Hundreds of thousands of sockeye returning from the ocean to spawn and die in the river where they were born.
About the event
The Salute to the Sockeye, organized by the Adams River Salmon Society, celebrates the dominant sockeye run at Adams River — North America's largest sockeye run and one of the most spectacular salmon spawning events in the world. The Adams River hosts four Pacific salmon species, but every four years the dominant run brings an extraordinary surge of sockeye. In 2022, approximately 600,000–700,000 sockeye returned to the river.
Visitors walk trails alongside the river watching thousands of bright-red sockeye fighting upstream, spawning, and dying in the shallows. The event is rooted in Indigenous traditions of honoring the salmon return and includes First Nations cultural ceremonies, interpretive programming, and artisan markets.
Location: Tsútswecw Provincial Park, approximately 45 km east of Kamloops — 5 km from Squilax on the Squilax-Anglemont Highway.
What to expect
This is one of the most visually striking natural events in all of BC. The Adams River runs a vivid red-orange with the massed spawning sockeye — fish reaching up to 80 cm long, their bodies transformed from silver ocean fish to bright crimson with green heads.
The festival creates an accessible, interpretive experience around the spectacle: guided trail walks, an interpretive cabin with life-size salmon displays, cultural entertainment, First Nations presentations, local food concessions, and artisan vendors. The atmosphere is reverent and educational.
Hours: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM daily, October 9–25. October weather in the Shuswap is brisk; warm layers and rain gear are recommended. Entry fee applies (2026 amount to be confirmed at salmonsociety.com).
2026 is a dominant run year
The Adams River dominant sockeye run happens every four years. 2026 is one of those years — when far greater numbers of fish return than in the three intervening years combined. If you want to see this event at its most extraordinary scale, 2026 is the year. The next dominant run will be 2030.