The annual BC Sardines Festival will be held on Saturday, Sep 1 2007 at the Steveston Harbour Authority Fisherman's Park (in front of the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site) from 11am to 4pm. 
Come early and bring your fish coolers or styro boxes to pack the fresh sardines that will be available for sale in boats parked at the Fisherman's Wharf.
On several occassions, my store carried fresh BC sardines which are large (6-8 inches body length) by comparison to those that are canned. Customers would ask how to best cook it. I would get grimaced facial expressions as I recommend that, "season it generously with salt and pepper, set the grill on high heat, then lay the sardines whole and ungutted. Prepare a dip of white vinegar with crushed garlic, add a few threads of bird's eye chili, temper with drops of fish sauce. Have lots of steamed jasmine rice ready." How about the bones? The meat would peel off easily when the fish is cooked.
Beas Kitchen has a wonderful suggestion on how to Grill Sardines and serve with marinated fennel and radish salad.
Unfortunately many stores are caught in the customers' logic: "It is such a cheap fish (just over a $ per pound), so it must not be good." And if someone buys them, the customer would request that the sardines be gutted and washed. The labor cost involved in the service may be more than the cost of the fish, so stores do not derive any value added from selling sardines.
Pictures and video of the sardines festival will be available a week after the event.
