A street party, food and a new panda mascot are being counted on to attract a younger crowd to Chinatown’s 125th anniversary celebrations this weekend, the event’s chair said.
“We’ve taken a lot of baby steps to make Chinatown more relevant to our new generation over the last five to 10 years,” said Jordan Eng, chair of the Vancouver Chinatown Festival.
“Chinatown remains the heart and soul of the community. The Festival is a great way to see a historic part of Vancouver and enjoy traditional food. It also helps re-engage the younger population into the community.”
The event includes a Youth Talent Showdown dance competition on Sunday, free photo opportunities with the new mascot and an open food market on Keefer Street.
“The idea behind the festival this year is ‘leaping from a proud heritage.’ It is the year of the tiger in the animal zodiac, so the theme represents what a tiger does, respecting the past and looking forward to the future.”
