Vancouver’s annual celebration of Japanese Canadian arts and culture, the Powell Street Festival, returns this August for the 48th year! There will once again be an array of diverse events and activities free for all ages to enjoy around the neighbourhood.
Powell Street Festival in Vancouver
- When: August 3 and 4, 2024 from 11:30am to 7:00pm
- Where: Oppenheimer Park 400-block Powell Street at Jackson Ave
- Admission: Free!
The festival is centered in the historic Paueru Gai neighbourhood, the festival spans Oppenheimer Park (400 Block, Powell Street) and nearby streets (Jackson and Dunlevy Avenues, Alexander Street) which will be transformed with an array of Japanese food vendors, a craft marketplace, and two outdoor stages.
Participating venues include the Firehall Arts Centre (280 East Cordova Street), Vancouver Japanese Language Centre and Japanese Hall (487 Alexander Street), Centre A Gallery (268 Keefer Street) and Vancouver Buddhist Temple (220 Jackson Avenue).
This year’s festival features over three dozen events, showcasing traditional and contemporary music, dance, literature, film, and performances from both local and international talent.
Highlights
Highlights include a screening of the documentary Between Pictures: The Lens of Tamio Wakayama by Cindy Mochizuki, a multimedia exploration of the late Japanese Canadian photographer and 1960s civil rights advocate.
Music enthusiasts can look forward to Ryuho Shakuhachi Kai, a leading maker of the bamboo shakuhachi flute from Japan, and local acts such as Kotojiro, a trio blending Eastern and Western musical traditions, and hafu vocalist Kimiko.
Literary offerings include a reading by Leslie Shimotakahara, author of Sisters of the Spruce, and an intergenerational creative writing circle workshop hosted by Mata Ashita, Michael Prior, and Leanne Toshiko Simpson ahead of an upcoming anthology featuring poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction from Japanese Canadians affected by displacement and dispossession.
The full schedule will be released on July 18th.
This year’s program also includes walking tours, martial arts demonstrations and our popular annual Sumo Tournament. Between events, visitors can enjoy food booths offering a variety of Japanese cuisine, browse handmade crafts in the marketplace, purchase festival lottery tickets and merchandise, and participate in interactive games in the zone.
Visit the Powell Street Festival Society on Facebook for more info.