Time Event Stage
11:00 AM – 2:30 PM Lunch Crab Boil Pickup Window Kitchen
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM Birdhouse Creative Studio Family Zone
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM Educational Marketplace Family Zone
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Captain's Table - Lunch Seating Captain's Table
12:00 PM – 12:15 PM Chef Paul Stewart — Co-Founder of Food Day Canada
Welcome to the Boil: Celebrating BC Crab
Opener for the day — why local crab matters and what's ahead.
Coastal Conversations
1:00 PM – 1:15 PM Trish Whetstone — BC Crab Fishermen's Association, OddFish Creative, Seafood Educator
How To Do BC Dungeness Crab: Buy It, Cook It, Crack It, Love It
Ever looked at a whole Dungeness crab and thought, "Sooo what do I do next?" Join seafood educator Trish Whetstone for a lively, interactive conversation about how to confidently buy, cook, crack, and enjoy BC's most iconic crustacean.
Coastal Conversations
2:00 PM – 2:15 PM Chef David Lang — Chair, Camosun College Culinary Program
Inside the CrabFest Kitchen
Chef David Lang takes guests behind the scenes of the BC CrabFest kitchen. Guests are encouraged to ask questions and join the conversation.
Coastal Conversations
2:30 PM – 4:30 PM Captain's Table - Early Afternoon Seating Captain's Table
2:30 PM – 5:30 PM Afternoon Crab Boil Pickup Window Kitchen
3:00 PM – 3:15 PM Melissa Jean Barnhard-McClurg / Nawhea'mowhah — Senior Tour Guide, Songhees Tours
A Cultural Journey
The history, traditions and living culture of the Lekwungen People.
Coastal Conversations
4:00 PM – 4:15 PM Chef Paul Stewart — Co-Founder of Food Day Canada
Celebrating Canadian Food and BC Crab
Why supporting local food matters.
Coastal Conversations
5:00 PM – 5:15 PM Liam Simpson — Salt Spring Island Sea Farms
From Salt Spring Island to Your Bucket
How BC mussels are farmed and harvested, and why local shellfish matters.
Coastal Conversations
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM Captain's Table - Late Afternoon Seating Captain's Table
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM Harbour Dinner Boil Pickup Window Kitchen
6:00 PM – 6:15 PM Chef David Lang — Chair, Camosun College Culinary Program
Now Eat It: Getting Every Bite Out of Your Crab
How to eat it — tools, dipping, no-waste tips.
Coastal Conversations
7:00 PM – 7:15 PM Chef Paul Stewart — Co-Founder of Food Day Canada
From Coast to Table: A Toast to Local Seafood
Closer — a warm wrap-up tying the day together.
Coastal Conversations

We acknowledge that BC CrabFest takes place on the traditional, unceded territories of the Lekwungen-speaking Peoples, including the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, and within the wider coastal territories of neighbouring Nations. These waters have been cared for and sustained for generations. We recognize that our work exists because of these waters, and we are committed to showing respect through how we gather, share food, and support stewardship of the coast.