Pick up your 2018 Festival Program at these locations

photo of copies of the 2018 Powell Street Festival Program

In partnership with The Bulletin/Geppo and the Greater Vancouver Japanese Canadian Citizens’ Association, our program guide is available at listed locations. You can also download the the entire 2018 Festival Program Guide (PDF, 9MB) or the Festival 2018 Schedule (PDF, 3.3MB) to see a summary of all that’s going on on Sat, Aug 4th and … Read more

13th Annual Asahi Tribute Game

August 18, 2018 10 am to 2 pm at Oppenheimer Park (400 block Powell Street) on the unceded territories of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), and mi ce:p kwətxwiləm (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations Register or contact us at info [at] powellstreetfestival.com or 604 739 9388. Join the Powell Street Festival Society, Oppenheimer Park & Carnegie Community Centre, … Read more

2018 Powell Street Festival Lineup

We are thrilled to announce the lineup of performers for the 42nd annual Powell Street Festival featuring a wide variety of local and international talent. One of the many musical highlights is virtuoso percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani, who, along with the Nakatani Gong Orchestra (a 14-person gong ensemble), kicks off his B.C. tour at the festival. … Read more

Karakasa Obake

Karakasa Obake Karakasa Obake installation is the winner of the 3rd Annual Design Competition for Powell Street Festival Society. The submission was created by Simon Fraser University art students: Jana Ghimire, Phoebe Huang, Haylee Marx, Elisha Wang, and Carmen Wong.  The team has been awarded a $1000 prize, a production budget, and mentorship from Revery Architecture and Abaton Projects.    The Karakasa Obake installation is an … Read more

Volunteer Applications are Now Open!!

The Powell Street Festival is a unique festival in that it celebrates so many aspects of the community in an inclusive, accessible and respectful environment. We rely on hundreds of volunteers to make this festival the wonderful event that it is! Volunteering is a great opportunity to meet new friends, spend time with friends and … Read more

Spatial Poetics XVII: Once Lost

Fri, 15 June 2018 at 7:30 PM – 9:30 pm Vancouver Maritime Museum 1905 Ogden Avenue Tickets $11 The Powell Street Festival Society and the Vancouver Maritime Museum present Spatial Poetics XVII. Once Lost In this one-night-only presentation, four artists explore the multilayered effects of WWII on Japanese in Canada, forming complementary narratives alongside, in, … Read more

Tamio Wakayama [1941-2018]

We are saddened by the news of Tamio Wakayama’s passing on March 23, 2018. Tamio was a photojournalist for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the American civil rights movement and brought his experience and spirit to renewed activism in the Japanese Canadian community in the late 1970s.  As Powell Street Festival’s main photographer … Read more

Lost Fleet Speaker Series – Sunny Island + Spatial Poetics

Thursday, May 24th at 7:30pm at Vancouver Maritime Museum 1905 Ogden Avenue in Vanier Park Talk is included with paid museum admission For tickets: CLICK HERE Underwater archeologist Charles Moore and VMM curator Duncan McLeod discuss the recent excavation of Japanese-Canadian fishing boat, the Sunny Island – Thursday, May 24th at 7:30pm. The discovery and identification of the Sunny Island, a boat build … Read more

Lillooet Legacy Sign Unveiling

Highway 12 & Sumner Road beside Airport Gardens, Lillooet, BC Fri., May 11, 1:30 pm In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Japanese Canadian Internment, Honourable Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, will be unveiling the second of seven Highway Legacy Signs for the Internment Site clusters and Roadcamps for the Self-supporting sites of … Read more

Sumo! A Beginner’s Workshop

Photo of Sumo Tournament at 2016 Powell Street Festival by Ed Law

Sunday, May 13 Vancouver Buddhist Temple 220 Jackson St, 2nd floor Doors at 12:30pm; 1 – 4pm FREE To pre-register email admin [@] powellstreetfestival.com No experience necessary. All ages. Please wear comfortable clothing and bring your own water bottle. Please enter through the door in the lane 25 feet east of Jackson Avenue. Photo by Ed Law

Rita Ueda talks about her cantata Debris

Vancouver Maritime Museum 1905 Ogden Avenue in Vanier Park Thursday, May 3rd at 7:30pm Composer Rita Ueda talks about her cantata Debris, inspired by the 2011 tsunami and the debris that washed up along the west coast of North America – Thursday, May 3rd at 7:30pm. Rita Ueda is a Japanese-Canadian composer and sound designer based in Vancouver. She is … Read more

Yūko-kai – a concert of Japanese dance

Saturday May 12 at 8pm Scotiabank Dance Centre Samurai warriors, pearl divers, court nobles and heartbroken women who transform into serpents grace the stage in “Yūko-kai – a concert of Japanese dance. ” This concert celebrates the life and work of Fujima Yūko (1929-2003) bringing Vancouver audiences a rare performance of nihon buyoh and the … Read more

Lost Fleet Speaker Series: From Up on Poppy Hill and Leanne Dunic Poetry Reading

From Up On Poppy Hill Sunday, April 15th, 11am at The Cinematheque 1131 Howe Street, Vancouver $6 – Ages 13 & Under $10 – Everybody Else Co-scripted by anime master Hayao Miyazaki and directed by his son Gorō Miyazaki, this lovingly hand-drawn film from Studio Ghibli is a poignant, tender coming-of-age drama adapted from a 1980 manga. … Read more

Hanami: A Cherry Blossom Picnic

Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 1 pm Oppenheimer Park, 488 Powell Street Celebrate the Sakura Blossoms with free Japanese Curry Lunch at 1 pm and Haiku and Calligraphy Workshops at 2 pm Presented by Powell Street Festival Society and Oppenheimer Park  

Annual General Meeting and After Party

Join us April 12th for our Annual General Meeting at 111 West Hastings Street at 6 pm. There will be a small gathering with refreshments from Tama Organic and wine from Stoneboat Vineyards at KW production Studio following the AGM from 7 until 9:30 pm. Buy your membership now either online via eventbrite or mail us this … Read more

Percussion and koto clinic with Sumire Yoshihara and Kazue Sawai

COMMUNITY EVENT Presented by Vancouver New Music in partnership with Powell Street Festival and Native Education College Thursday, March 15, 2018, 7-9PM Native Education College, Fireside Lounge (285 East 5th Avenue) FREE Join Sumire Yoshihara and Miyama McQueen-Tokita as they demonstrate their unique approaches to performing on percussion, and koto (a traditional Japanese stringed instrument). ABOUT VANCOUVER NEW MUSIC  … Read more

2018 Festival Applications now open!

Please choose the appropriate application form below. If you have already registered or applied through this site in previous years, you can log in to your profile page using the right sidebar. For Community Booths 2018 Community Booth Application For Craft Vendors 2018 Craft Vendor Application For Displays 2018 Display Application For Food Booth Vendors … Read more

3rd Annual Design Competition – – Call for Entries!

3rd Annual Design Competition – – Call for Entries! Presented in partnership with Revery Architecture and Abaton Projects, students are invited to design an interactive artwork for the 42nd Anniversary Powell Street Festival, scheduled for August 4 and 5, 2018. The winning submission is awarded mentorship from Revery Architecture and Abaton Projects, and a commission … Read more

Sumire Yoshihara + Miyama McQueen-Tokita

The Annex 823 Seymour Street, 2nd Floor, Vancouver Saturday, March 17, 8PM Free pre-show chat at 7:15PM Tickets $35 general, $25 senior, $15 student UPDATE! We regret to inform that Kazue Sawai will be unable to perform as originally scheduled. We are pleased that Kazue Sawai has highly recommended, and introduced to us Miyama McQueen-Tokita, … Read more

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