Vancouver's popular summer art festival revealed a sneak peek at this year's events.
The Vancouver Mural Festival will return Aug. 4 in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, settling into a festival hub at the City Centre Artist Lodge until Aug. 13.
The 10-day celebration of creativity and community is jam-packed with daily mural tours, live performances, public talks, and other entertainment including an afternoon queer dance party and Asian market.
The festival kicks off with a series of mural tours followed by the Public Disco Pride Special in the evening at The Cobalt and Boxcar.
Later in the week, on Aug. 10, the Ricecake Summer Market will take place, coinciding with the return of the Mount Pleasant Street Party, and will be filled with free activities and entertainment from Asian DJs, drag performers, lion dancers, circus performers, and a karaoke hour.
"We want Vancouver to celebrate diversity and representation while creating a safe space where both the queer community and the Asian community can celebrate the intersectionality of their existence," says Van Dang, founder of Ricecake Events and co-curator of the market.
The festival will also include the Murals Without Walls project which gives an opportunity for professional artists with disabilities to produce and exhibit their work at the City Centre Artist Lodge, rather than on walls and buildings across the city.
Over the past seven years, the VMF has painted the city with over 400 murals, including 50 new artworks last year.
Further programming will be announced in June.
