Powell Street Festival

Powell Street Festival 【パウエル祭】Japanese Canadian art & culture summer festival, plus year-round programs and events! The Powell Street Festival takes place every BC Day long weekend.

Powell Street Festival (PSF) is the largest event of its kind in Canada and the longest running community arts festival in the Lower Mainland. We provide a venue for emerging and established, professional and amateur, and traditional and contemporary artists in the Japanese Canadian and Asian Canadian communities. We also participate in co-presentations with other arts organizations throughout the year and produce our own programming as part of an annual season.

🌀Meet the Characters 🌀This week we're spotlighting Taiko, because Powell Street Festival wouldn't be the same without th...
06/16/2026

🌀Meet the Characters 🌀

This week we're spotlighting Taiko, because Powell Street Festival wouldn't be the same without the beat of the drums. The steady heartbeat brings energy and life to Festival weekend, connecting generations young and old. Do you remember the first time you heard Taiko drums?

See you August 1 & 2 at Oppenheimer Park! All are welcome, all events are free.

06/12/2026

50 days until the 50th Powell Street Festival! Reveling in 50 years of nostalgia and all of the excitement of the summer ahead!

August 1 & 2
11:30-7pm both days
Oppenheimer Park and Paueru G*i
(Powell Street Area)

Meet the characters! 🌀This week we're spotlighting two icons from our 50th anniversary poster: The Mikoshi and the Shish...
06/09/2026

Meet the characters! 🌀

This week we're spotlighting two icons from our 50th anniversary poster: The Mikoshi and the Shishi-Mai!
Together these characters uphold a ceremonial aspect of the annual Powell Street Fetsival.

Be sure to look out for both the Mikoshi and the Shishi-Mai on Saturday of the festival! See you all on August 1 & 2 at Oppenheimer Park!

All events free.

Meet the characters! 🌀This week we're spotlighting two icons from our 50th anniversary poster: the Diamond Stage and the...
06/04/2026

Meet the characters! 🌀

This week we're spotlighting two icons from our 50th anniversary poster: the Diamond Stage and the Obon Dancers.
The Diamond Stage was built for the inaugural Powell Street Festival celebrating the Japanese Canadian Centennial.

The Obon Dancers have been a beloved part of our community ever since 1977 and you may recognize them from the cover of Return to Paueru G*i: Fifty Years of Vancouver's Powell Street Festival.

Both are at the heart of what we're celebrating this year. We can't wait to dance with you all on August 1 & 2 at Oppenheimer Park!

All events free.

🎉 Volunteer Applications Are now OPEN for the 50th Annual Powell Street Festival!Join us as we celebrate 50 years of Jap...
06/03/2026

🎉 Volunteer Applications Are now OPEN for the 50th Annual Powell Street Festival!

Join us as we celebrate 50 years of Japanese Canadian arts, culture, and community at one of Vancouver’s most beloved festivals.

Whether you're a longtime Festival supporter or joining us for the first time, we’d love to have you on our volunteer team!

Why volunteer?
✨ Be part of our historic 50th Festival celebration
✨ Connect with an incredible community
✨ Experience Japanese Canadian arts and culture up close
✨ Make new friends and lasting memories

📅 The 50th Annual Powell Street Festival takes place Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2, 2026 at Oppenheimer Park

🙌 Volunteer opportunities are available from Thursday, July 30 through Monday, August 3.

Please note:
• All interested volunteers—new and returning—must submit an application.
• Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older.
• Some positions (Interactive Zone & Seniors Tent) require a criminal record check.

Apply today on our website!

Apply now through the link in bio!

Who do you recognize?As we countdown to the Powell Street Festival, we'll be exploring some of the characters and why th...
06/02/2026

Who do you recognize?

As we countdown to the Powell Street Festival, we'll be exploring some of the characters and why they matter to the Powell Street Festival! This festival is a collection of so many characters, performances, memories, and art that all coming together to make Powell Street Festival fun and memorable.

Here's a message from 2026 poster artist Ella Tani:
"The concept for the poster was inspired by a photograph taken at the first Powell Street Festival back in 1977, which depicts a group of festival attendees joining hands in a traditional Japanese obon dance circle. I saw the obon dance circle as a symbol of connection — bringing together the Japanese Canadian community and the local community, while also connecting the rich history of Paueru G*i to the present day.
In this poster, I used the concept of the obon dance circle and populated it with a variety of iconic figures who I believe embody the spirit of Powell Street Festival. Each figure is an integral part of the festival and represents different eras of its 50-year run — from the Japanese Canadian Centennial Stage in 1977, to the Macro Maki costumes that began in 2016. Follow along to learn more about each character as we approach the festival!"

Comment who you recognize and follow along to meet them all!

06/01/2026

Step inside Return to Paueru G*i with Emiko Morita (Executive Director of PSFS 2015-2024) as we are guided through the exhibition and watch the unveiling of the official 50th Powell Street Festival poster.

Created by Ella Tani, this year's poster reflects the memories and community that have shaped the Festival across five decades, while looking toward the future still being written.

🗓 August 1 & 2 | 11:30am – 7pm
📍Oppenehimer Park & Paueru G*i (Powell Street Area)
🎨 Poster by Ella Tani

Director: Taitania Higuchi
Director of Photography: Thomas Mai
B Camera Operator and Editor: Deniz Somuncuoglu.

*i

Announcing the 50th Powell Street Festival; August 1–2, 2026 at Oppenheimer Park & Paueru G*i (Powell Street Area).Canad...
06/01/2026

Announcing the 50th Powell Street Festival; August 1–2, 2026 at Oppenheimer Park & Paueru G*i (Powell Street Area).

Canada's largest and longest-running Japanese Canadian arts & culture festival is bringing 70+ programs across BC Day Long Weekend — taiko, sumo, martial arts, incredible food, craft vendors, community booths, and more. 11:30am–7pm both days.

This one is for the community and for 50 years of stories worth celebrating.
Stay tuned as we count down to Festival Weekend! 🥁

🗓 August 1–2, 2026
📍 Oppenheimer Park & Paueru G*i (Powell Street area)
⏰ 11:30am – 7pm

Our 2026 Poster Artist Ella Oriye Tani! Ella is a Chinese Japanese Canadian illustrator and casual graphic novelist based in Burnaby, BC. She is inspired by the nature of the West Coast and is drawn to blending fantasy with aspects of her local environment. Ella attended her first Powell Street Festival when she was three years old, and ever since then her family had made it a summer tradition to visit.

Website: https://www.ellaoriyetani.com/
Instagram:

Join us on Sunday, June 7th for the 18th Annual Asahi Tribute Game! ⚾️☀️This year, we have moved the Tribute Game to the...
05/29/2026

Join us on Sunday, June 7th for the 18th Annual Asahi Tribute Game! ⚾️☀️

This year, we have moved the Tribute Game to the summer in hopes of better weather! This event will be in partnership with the DUDES Club of Vancouver: a local organization that creates participant-led spaces for men’s health and wellness that is grounded in supportive relationships, access to health care, and Indigenous worldviews. Together with DUDES Club, we are excited to bring the community together for a day of baseball, connection, and celebration!

This event is open to everyone regardless of any baseball experience. We will learn how to play the game in the morning, enjoy hot dogs for lunch, then wrap up the day with a community baseball scrimmage at Oppenheimer Park, which was the historic home field of Vancouver’s Asahi Baseball Team from 1914 to 1941.

Thank you to our community partners: Carnegie Community Centre, WePress, The Hub, the City of Vancouver, Vancouver Japanese Languge School & Hall, our friends at Oppenheimer Park, and the DUDES Club of Vancouver.
Link in bio to sign up!

Welcoming the 2026 Japanese Canadian Youth Cohort: Trevor, Kailey, and Iene! Now in its fifth year, this expenses-paid 1...
05/28/2026

Welcoming the 2026 Japanese Canadian Youth Cohort: Trevor, Kailey, and Iene!

Now in its fifth year, this expenses-paid 10-day Festival Production Residency brings together Japanese Canadian youth raised outside of Greater Vancouver to explore Japanese Canadian identity as vibrant and vital through hands-on Festival work, cultural field trips, and intergenerational exchange in Paueru G*i (Powell Street area).

This program is made possible through the generosity of our donors, thank you for helping us continue to grow and sustain this opportunity year after year!

Learn more about the program and meet this year’s incredible cohort on our website!

Address

410/111 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC
V6B1G4

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Powell Street Festival posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category