Thank you for joining us at Light Up Chinatown! on September 9 & 10, 2023

Over two days, we welcomed over 16,000 visitors to Chinatown. The festival brought vibrancy to our beloved neighbourhood and traffic to small businesses, which are the backbone of Chinatown’s culture and community.  

We extend our appreciation to all of our sponsors, community partners, organizing committee, and volunteers for their ongoing support. The festival would not have been possible without you.

We remain undeterred in ensuring a safe and vibrant Chinatown.  We invite all of you to visit the neighbourhood and support the wonderful local businesses all-year round. 

LOCATION
500-block Columbia St
between East Pender and Keefer Street
& neighbouring streets

TIME
Saturday, Sept 9th, 11 am-9 pm
Sunday, Sept 10th, 11 am-6 pm

SPECIAL FOOD COLLABORATIONS

BAO BEI BRASSERIE X THE BOSS BAKERY

Crispy Pork Bolo Bao
Bao Bei crispy pork belly, cilantro root sauce, compressed cucumbers, the Boss pineapple bun

DD MAU X BOBA RUN

Korean Watermelon Che Thai
A dessert is made with a blend of cold pressed watermelon juice, coconut milk, hand-scooped watermelon balls, and an assortment of bright and colorful Vietnamese toppings! Take out only!

KAM WAI X TREASURE GREEN TEA CO.

Rose Tea Sesame Bao
A fluffy and aromatic Yunnan Rose Tea infused bao with coconut milk wrapped around a sweet and slightly bitter toasted black sesame filling; the perfect balance to the floral rose and sweet coconut flavour.

CHINATOWN BBQ X BEAUCOUP BAKERY

Bolo BBQ Pork (Char Siew) Cruffin
Features Beaucoup Bakery’s renowned butter croissant pastry, brioche, onions, crunchy bolo bun cookie, and of course, Chinatown BBQ’s popular honey glazed BBQ pork.

Bolo Bao with Crispy Pork by Bao Bei Brasserie and The Boss Bakery

CHINATOWN LIVE!

MAIN STAGE AT INTERSECTION OF COLUMBIA & KEEFER ST
THANK YOU TO OUR MAIN STAGE SPONSOR ODLUM BROWN

SAT, SEPT 9TH

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Opening Ceremony
Chris GaiIus, Global BC & Karen So, OMNI TV (MC’s); Hon. Janet Austin, OBC, Lieutenant Governor of BC; Hon. Harjit Sajjan, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the PacifiCan;  Hon. David Eby, Premier of BC; Ken Sim, Mayor of Vancouver; and VIP guests, with Hon Hsing Athletic Club and Goh Ballet

12:45 PM – 1:15 PM
Colours of Dance Academy
Diverse Chinese dances performed by students from the academy.

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Rosa Cheng
Captivating Cantonese opera performance by talented and renowned performer  

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Astral String Quartet
Vancouver-based string quartet – Winners of 2023 Friends of Chamber Music Young Musicians Competition.

4:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble
Classically trained instrumentalists playing selections from its vast repertoire of classical, popular and contemporary music. 

5:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Herbert and Friends
Live band performance by multi-instrumentalist Herbert and his friends. 

6:15 PM – 6:20 PM, 7:40–7:45PM
AoE
Friends turned K-pop dance group sharing their passion and happiness for dance.

7:00 PM – 7:30 PM
JoJo and the Dynamix Band
Vibe along to mixes of music from different eras and genres, perfect for audiences of all ages.  

8:15 PM – 9:00 PM
DJ May Q
This Vancouver’s upcoming DJ will take you on a sonic journey spliced with afro beats, nu disco, funky house, and classic favorites with an unexpected twist.

SUN, SEPT 10TH

12:00 PM- 12:30 PM
Lorita Leung Dance Academy
A showcase of different dance styles including classical, folk, ethnic, and contemporary. 

1:15 PM – 1:45 PM
Jilian Tam
Be blown away by the Canadian opera-singer’s amazing voice! 

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Madison Reunion Band
Get ready to rock n’ roll along to a well loved local band of over 20 years. 

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Now or Never Crew
Hip-Hop/breakdancing crew – Winners of Battle of The Year and the 2010 Winter Olympics

5:00 PM – 5:45 PM
Kristina Lao
The interdisciplinary artist from Hong Kong will close the festival with her breath-catching choruses. She will be performing with Emilyn, Rob Thomson, Ken Chan and Daniel Lew.

ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES

  • Magic show by the renowned Rod Chow
  • Balloon animals by Yanping Zhou
  • Lanterns by Charles Chan
  • Cotton candy for sale!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Our work at the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation is made possible by the generous contributions from our sponsors. We are so proud to be partnering with these incredible organizations and we are deeply grateful for the support they are providing to our community celebration and programming.

Presented By

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Aquilini Group

Axiom Builders

Beedie

Lowtide Properties

Main Stage Sponsor

Bronze Sponsors

Anthem Properties

EasyPark

Simon Fraser University

Tom Lee Music

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority

Windsor Plywood Foundation

With Support From

Media Sponsors

In Partnership With

GET INVOLVED

Become a Vancouver Chinatown Foundation volunteer! Find out how you can be a part of our vibrant community and join in on our revitalization efforts of Chinatown.