Food and beverage lovers can embark on a culinary adventure across the Sunshine Coast during the inaugural Sunshine Coast Flavour Festival from February 28 – March 9, 2025. Participating businesses from Gibsons to Lund will be offering special menus, unique deals, and exclusive dining experiences during the event.
Whether you're a local resident or a visitor, this is the perfect opportunity to discover (or rediscover!) the Sunshine Coast’s culinary scene. Every meal and offer you enjoy helps support the talented chefs, entrepreneurs, and small businesses that make the Sunshine Coast’s food and beverage scene extraordinary. By dining out during the festival, you’re helping sustain and grow the local culinary community.
What is the Sunshine Coast Flavour Festival?
The Sunshine Coast Flavour Festival is a region-wide celebration of food and drink, presented by Sunshine Coast Tourism. The event was designed to highlight the creativity and diversity of the local culinary community, and participants include a variety of restaurants, cafes, food trucks, and specialty food providers. Culinary businesses from Gibsons to Lund are offering:
- Prix Fixe Menus – specially curated brunch, lunch, and dinner menus that showcase local ingredients and bold flavors.
- Exclusive Deals – unique offers available only during the festival.
- Regional Highlights – a chance to sample everything from fresh seafood to farm-to-table creations.
The Sunshine Coast Flavour Festival runs from Friday, February 28 – Sunday, March 9, 2025. It’s a quieter time of late winter/early spring, offering visitors and residents a fresh perspective on the region. It’s the perfect time to take advantage of fewer crowds, stunning coastal views, and the warm hospitality of the Sunshine Coast community.
Participating Businesses
Over 50 local businesses are participating in the Sunshine Coast Flavour Festival. You can browse through the participating business listings here.
You can view listings by category (Special Partner Offer or Prix Fixe Restaurants), by region/community, or by the type of service. Click on a listing to get the full details, including information on things like reservations—some participating restaurants are accepting reservations, while others are accepting walk-ins only. There are also cafes, food trucks, and counter-service options that cater to walk-ins.
Here’s a sneak peek at what some of the participating businesses have planned:
- Shaggy Jack’s will be running a pop-up kitchen at the Gibsons Public Market on March 1st. Indulge in some Matsutake Gohan (Japanese-style rice with locally foraged pine mushrooms and dashi), Wild Mushroom Soup, and more.
- On the Northern Sunshine Coast, Laughing Oyster Restaurant is offering up a 2-course lunch for $28 + tax, or a 3-course dinner for $45 + tax. Lunch options are plentiful and include a main plus dessert, with options ranging from a smoked salmon and shrimp open-faced sandwich to a wild mushroom and vegan flat sausage linguine. Dinner includes an appetizer, main, and dessert, with options such as sirloin steak with chimichurri herb crust or sablefish lightly baked with maple sea salt.
- The Backeddy Pub at Backeddy Resort & Marina is offering a special prix fixe meal—3 courses for $39 + tax. There are two options per course, including main course options of either the Ocean Wise Saffron Seafood Risotto or a Confit Duck Leg over Navy Bean Cassoulet.
- Sechelt’s The Bricker Cider Company has teamed up with their on-site food vendor The Shed to offer any pizza + any large salad + 2 glasses of Original Cider/Kombucha for $34.99 + tax.
- Coastal Cookery in Powell River is offering a 3-course men for $45 + tax per person. Appetizer choices include Beef Carpaccio, Gyoza, or Duck Wings, while main course options include Spaghetti & maeatballs, Gnocchi, or a Laksa Bowl. The dessert course is a sampler of Bread Pudding and Vanilla Cheesecake.
- Anam Kitchen in Gibsons is offering thalis (a small selection of dishes served on a platter) that showcases their menu. Choose from a Vegan Thali for $23.50 + tax, or a regular Thali for $25 + tax. Bonus: it's located at Sunday Cider, which is also home to Sea Monkey Coffee Co., meaning you can hit up multiple businesses in one go.
Click here for full details on participating businesses.
How to Make the Most of the Festival
Here’s the best way to savour every bite of the Sunshine Coast Flavour Festival:
1. Plan Your Stops
With participating venues spread across the Sunshine Coast, it’s the perfect excuse to explore! Consider tackling stops in different ways:
- Spend a couple of days winding your way along Highway 101. Start your first day with a cozy brunch in Gibsons, enjoy cider and lunch in Sechelt, and cap it off with a waterfront dinner in Halfmoon Bay. Spend another day discovering new flavours in Powell River, where you can indulge in fresh seafood, craft beer, and so much more.
- Focus on your favourites! Grab a Taco Sampler Box Special from Salt & Swine, enjoy 40% off bottles of wine with the purchase of any two dishes at The Pink House Bistro, or dig into pizza and dessert from Coastal Crust Pizzeria.
- Try a prix fixe menu. Local hot spots like Tapworks Brewing in Gibsons, The Seasider Bistro + Wine Bar + Patio in Powell River, and Tubird at the Rockwater in Halfmoon Bay are offering up multi-course options.
- Go for some family-friendly options. Parents can indulge in special menus or take advantage of special offers, while kids can select their favourites from the kids’ menu. Check out Joe’s on the Beach, where parents can enjoy a 3-course menu at $35 + tax per person, and “L’il Joes” can tuck into a burger or chicken strips.
2. Share the Experience
Bring a couple of friends, family members, or your partner along for the journey! Festivals are better when shared.
You can also share your favourite culinary finds on social media, which is an excellent way to help support local businesses. Don’t forget to use #SunshineCoastBC for a chance to be featured on Sunshine Coast Tourism’s channels!
3. Try Something New
This festival is the ultimate chance to step out of your comfort zone. Try a new restaurant or indulge in a menu item you’ve never tried before.
- You may have seen some Bruinwood Estate Distillery’s spirits in local liquor stores, but have you ever stopped by their tasting room? Bruinwood is offering a selection of $7 + tax cocktails featuring spirits like their White Apple Rye and Espresso Vodka.
- If you've never had Turkish cuisine, now is the perfect time. TK’s Gourmet Turkish Cuisine is offering a free appetizer with the purchase of 2 entrees. Appetizers include options like the Baba Ganoush served with Arabic flatbread, while mains include a Falafel Plate or a Lamb Shawarma Plate. TK's is located at Banditry Cider, where you can also enjoy deals on cider flights.
- Just Soul Food in the Townsite Public Market is offering a trio of handcrafted, plant-based cheesecakes. Don’t miss out on these vegan desserts, which are only available on Tuesdays during the Sunshine Coast Flavour Festival!
Where to Stay
Ready to indulge? Check out our Deals & Packages page to see what’s on offer, or visit our Places to Stay page for more inspiration. Some accommodations have created offers in tandem with the Sunshine Coast Flavour Festival, including:
- Pointhouse Suites on Sargeant Bay
- Backeddy Resort & Marina
- OysterBeds - located at Laughing Oyster Restaurant
Additional Events and Activities
In between delicious bites, there is so much to see and do on the Sunshine Coast. Spend some time outside exploring hiking and mountain biking trails, paddling local waterways, or taking in a quiet moment at a the beach. Pick up some souvenirs from boutique shops or art galleries, learn something new at community museums, and be sure to check out additional events like the Sunshine Coast Beer Festival (March 1), TTHE 3rd Annual Hockey Tournament (February 28 - March 2), and the qathet International Film Festival.
See you at the Sunshine Coast Flavour Festival!
