A celebration of Japanese art and culture will take place over two days in Vancouver this summer.
The annual Powell Street Festival returns for its 47th installment, featuring a variety of events and entertainment, including dance performances, crafts, music, art workshops, and much more.
With over 35 performances on three stages, locals can discover Daikagura, described as a "rare and auspicious 1000-year-old art form with ceremony," as well as a juggling performance by Michiyo Kagami.
Attendees can also watch "the resurrection of Okuni, the 17th-century cis-female founder of kabuki, reimagined as a punk/synthwave/glam-goth figure in a multidisciplinary dance titled IzumonookunI, by Vancouver-born Aretha Aoki and Ryan MacDonald," according to a press release.
Locals can enjoy dancing to an "up-and-coming" J-pop dance and vocal group called Epithymia, as well as panels, workshops, walking tours, martial arts demonstrations, a Sumo Tournament, and other exciting events.
In between performances and demonstrations, attendees can sample community Japanese food and visit a handmade crafts marketplace, an interactive zone, a children’s activity area, and the Festival Lottery.
The event will also stream online for two hours for the Festival Connect Online Live Stream on Saturday, Aug. 5 at 12:30 p.m. on the website and YouTube channel.
Before the festival, locals can try free lessons to learn the Paueru Mashup Dance on Tuesdays in July in Oppenheimer Park, strike a pose in the ballroom scene at the Van Vogue Jam’s Posh Ball on July 28, and learn about the myth behind the star festival tanabata at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre’s family-friendly presentation on Aug. 4.
47th Annual Powell Street Festival
When: Aug. 5 and 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Where: Oppenheimer Park (400-block Powell Street at Jackson Avenue) and the surrounding area
Cost: Free
