Kokanee Salmon Return! Celebrate at kikinee Festival in Mission Creek Regional Park

Join RDCO Park Interpreters and community partners for the annual celebration of the return of the spawning Kokanee salmon. This is a family-friendly event with free, fun activities for an amazing day in Mission Creek Regional Park. 

• Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025  
• Time: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  
• Location: Mission Creek Regional Park, 2363 Springfield Road, Kelowna, BC  

For more than two decades, RDCO has marked the annual return of spawning Kokanee salmon with information, events and programs to raise awareness and educate park visitors about this incredible natural phenomenon. 

During a small window in the summer, work to prepare the spawning channel in Mission Creek clears debris and creates optimal conditions to help salmon eggs survive over several months until they hatch and learn to swim. New riffles were completed earlier this summer to help salmon make their way upstream, along with improvement of the intake channel. 

RDCO Visitor Services also provides the Kokanee in the Classroom program with tanks in 11 local schools that provide a valuable tool for environmental education to help students learn about the lifecycle of Kokanee salmon and the hardships they face at every stage of their lives.  

There are several RDCO parks where visitors can also view Kokanee salmon spawning in both rivers and along shorelines including Powers Creek at (Lower) Glen Canyon, Deep Creek at Hardy Falls, Mission Creek (and the spawning channel), Bertram Creek and Goats Peak. These are environmentally sensitive areas where viewing is encouraged from a safe distance away.  

The Regional District offers more than 2,100 hectares of parkland including 86-kilometres of formal trails in 30 regional parks for visitors to safely explore. Find all the locations at rdco.com/parks.