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Welcome to the 45th Powell Street Festival! We have adapted to public health restrictions and revamped programming so festival-goers can stay bubble-safe, yet connected to the historic Japanese Canadian neighbourhood! Throughout the month of July, the festival website (www.powellstreetfestival.com) will be the hub for the country’s largest celebration of Japanese Canadian art and culture. We are … Read more
Announcing our Community Partnership with the Surrey Art Gallery The Powell Street Festival Society is pleased to announce our community partnership with the Surrey Art Gallery. The 45th Annual Powell Street Festival, taking place both online and in the historic Paueru Gai (Powell Street) neighborhood this summer, is partnering with the Surrey Art Gallery, who … Read more
Talking the Walk: Reflections on 360 Riot Walk is a series of three free online panel discussions using 360 Riot Walk as an entry point to explore the history of anti-Asian violence and white supremacy in Vancouver. 360 Riot Walk is an interactive walking tour of the 1907 Anti-Asian Riots in Vancouver that traces the history … Read more
The Powell Street Festival Society’s Annual General Meeting will take place online via Zoom this year, Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 7:00 PM Pacific Time. Please register through our Eventbrite link to receive your AGM package and Zoom Link. Register Here Please note that Katari Taiko’s AGM starts at 6:30 pm, so please login early to support them too. Also, your Annual Membership Top-Up is now available … Read more
Greetings, Courtesy of the 45th Powell Street Festival, we would like to invite everyone across the country to learn the Paueru Mashup, a taiko flashmob work that encapsulates the festival! It’s a community dance that we can all learn and perform together one day! Learn the dance online and videotape yourself, then we will edit … Read more
The Powell Street Festival Society is proud to announce its stewardship of 360 Riot Walk created by artist Henry Tsang. 360 Riot Walk is a multilingual interactive self-guided walking tour which invites participants to trace a layered history of Vancouver’s labour politics, anti-Asian racism, and community resistance in what is today the Downtown Eastside. This unique project interweaves the narratives of racialized communities, reclaiming how and what histories are told. Combining historical images with contemporary surroundings, participants are confronted with Vancouver’s ongoing legacy of … Read more
The Powell Street Festival Society is excited to announce that we are hiring! Join our 45th Powell Street Festival Production Team and Staff. Current Openings Seasonal Production Coordinator – Due Monday, March 29, 2021 Production Assistant – Due Monday, March 29, 2021 Production Associate – Due Monday, March 29, 2021 Permanent Development and Administrative … Read more
The Paueru Gai Dialogues #9 More information to come…
The Paueru Gai Dialogues #8 More information to come…
The Paueru Gai Dialogues #7 More information to come…
The Paueru Gai Dialogues #6 Reconsidering Land, History and Belonging Date: June 26, 2021 Time: 1PM – 3PM PST / 4PM – 6PM EST Free admission. Registration Required. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER How can we fight against the dominant frameworks of capitalism and settler colonialism to conjure different futures? What does it mean to imagine … Read more
The Paueru Gai Dialogues #5 The Changing Environment and Humanity Date: May 22, 2021 Time: 1PM – 3PM PST / 4PM – 6PM EST Free admission. Registration Required. Link to register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/paueru-gai-dialogues-5-tickets-152781504593 Global warming and environmental protection are big inaccessible topics that point to news headlines, oil companies, pipelines and government policy. Guest host Haruko … Read more
The Paueru Gai Dialogues #4 Old Roots and New Relationships on Indigenous Lands Date: April 24, 2021Time: 1PM – 3PM PST / 4PM – 6PM ESTFree admission. Registration Required. Link to register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-paueru-gai-dialogues-4-tickets-148815333669 How can Japanese Canadians request the return of lost property in the Powell Street neighbourhood without perpetuating colonial practices? Guest host Jeff … Read more
The Paueru Gai Dialogues #3 On Memory, Mythmaking and Community Resilience Date: March 27, 2021Time: 1PM – 3PM PST / 4PM – 6PM ESTFree admission. Registration Required. Link to register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-paueru-gai-dialogues-3-tickets-143858989109 What, if anything, have we learned from our past? Are there ways we can harness this renewed sense of connection to heal a fractured … Read more
The Paueru Gai Dialogues #2 On Food & Culture for Community Building Date: February 27, 2021Time: 1PM – 3PM PST / 4PM – 6PM ESTFree admission. Registration Required. Link to register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-paueru-gai-dialogues-2-tickets-139560295601?aff=erelpanelorg Guest host erica hiroko isomura will facilitate a discussion with panelists Carmel Tanaka, Kage, and Ingrid Mendez de Cruz as they share stories … Read more
The Paueru Gai Dialogues #1 Catalyzing Social Equity through Culture & Connection to Place Date: January 30, 2021 Time: 1PM – 3PM PST / 4PM – 6PM EST Free admission. Registration Required. Guest host Izumi Sakamoto will facilitate a discussion with three panelists — Ayumi Goto, Kathy Shimizu and Terry Watada — as they share … Read more
This past year has been a particularly difficult one, and we hope that 2021 has good fortune in store for us all. As you may know, darumas are seen as symbols of perseverance and luck. They’re also the unofficial Powell Street Festival mascot! The eyes of the daruma are initially blank. They are meant to be filled in on one side when a wish is made and only completed on both when that wish is fulfilled. In the spirit of Powell … Read more
Curated holiday gift boxes featuring unique handmade items from Powell Street Festival craft vendors! https://powell-street-festival.myshopify.com/ Powell Street Festival is proud to collaborate with local Japanese Canadian crafters to bring holiday cheer to your home. These specially curated boxes demonstrate the creativity and skill of some of the festival’s long-time crafters and vendors. Featured vendors: Minori Takagi Picchie Zakka Mom’s Care … Read more
Notice of Special General Meeting Wednesday, October 14 6:30 pm PST (online) An online Special General Meeting will take place to vote on an amendment to Powell Street Festival Society’s Constitution, making an addition to its purposes. To attend, members are requested to email nathana@powellstreetfestival.com to register in advance and to receive a link to the online meeting. Proposed … Read more
Thank you!! Due to the COVID19 health crisis, the 44th annual Powell Street Festival pivoted from it’s traditional in-person celebration to an online Telethon. It was a great success raising $64,389 (a ~322% increase over the initial goal of $20,000). The donations will fund our new PowellStFest Community Kitchen and help to scale the suite … Read more
Celebrate Japanese Canadian culture while giving back to your community! Join us for a LIVE online telethon August 1, 2020 from 2pm – 7pm to watch live performances, highlights from previous festivals, appearances from festival vendors, and so much more. Tune in with your family and friends to experience the spirit of the festival right from your home! The Powell Street Festival Society (PSFS) produces the annual Japanese Canadian (JC) outdoor festival that takes place in the historic JC neighbourhood, Paueru Gai … Read more
The Powell Street Festival Society’s (PSFS) mission is to cultivate Japanese Canadian arts and culture to connect communities. Our main activity is producing the Powell Street Festival (PSF) in Vancouver’s historic Japanese Canadian neighbourhood, Paueru Gai, located on unceded Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil- Waututh First Nations territories.
