This free art festival has been sharing and celebrating Japanese Canadian culture for 49 years! It…read moreis one of the largest and longest running arts festivals in Canada. As a Japanese, Canadian, American citizen it touches my heart to see a collaboration of the artists, vendors and festival goers like me from all backgrounds sharing and learning about our histories. In the 1920's Oppenheimer park was once a thriving hub for Japanese Canadians. Sadly in 1942 during the war, they were forced to vacate this area. After, some returned and rebuilt their lives in Vancouver, Steveston and Richmond. It was moving to hear the chairwomen of the Powell Street Festival Society express and thank the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh), and Musqueam Nations for allowing the festival to be held on the unceded territories. Craft shopping, art demos and eating filled the next couple of hours. I purchased floral handmade cards, Japanese themed handmade jewelry, "sushi candles"and ate fresh made tayoyaki. Yummy! Traditional Japanese dancing and the unique "Big Print" art demonstration using a steamroller was entertaining to see. It was a beautiful, sunny day in Vancouver and a heartwarming experience!

I enjoyed honestly but very inconvenient location. Oppenheimer park used to be used for this…read morefestival. More people could gather around the stages and enjoyed activity freely. More eating spots and chilling spots with nice food. But right now homeless people's tents occupied it. Powellstreet festival is held on the street literally. If they need big space, then use intersection. I have sympathy to homeless people too but I felt something wrong because the park should be public and more flexible to use for anyone and any occasion. If you like Japanese hand made craft, I recommend to come to first day of the festival. They are so popular.

This is an event I go to every year at rocky point park. Although small, it's always wonderful…read moreseeing different vendors there from food to clothing or others. It's a fun event to go to and perfect for families. I highly recommend it!

This is one of the best events in the Lower Mainland because of it's family atmosphere, low-key,…read morealmost country flavour and it's community spirit. I had a lot of fun at the festival which seems to happen the first weekend in July. Some entertainment is amateur, but "the best of". I saw Chilliwack there and Sweeney Todd. Pets, food stands, nice people. Lots of kids' activities and entertainments. Petting zoo, stories, crafts. Beer garden. Good fish and chips on site by Pajo's. See list of vendors on website. You can also bring your own picnic (I think.) Cheap entry fee: $2 per day. Kids under 3 = free. Free public parking. "This festival has been celebrated for 32 years" - quoting website. Rocky Point is right on the water, with a bay at the far end of Burrard Inlet which dries up when the tide is out. Yes, the odd mosquito will get you. But the most beautiful sunsets will more than make up for it! Water, mountains, boats. Reflections. A romantic boardwalk with local street musicians. Do not miss it! Saturday & Sunday you could be there all day and evening, starting at 10:30 a.m, listening to music, watching dancers, and kids doing cartwheels in front of the stage while the mature reserved folk drink beer in the beer garden and the rest of us lick some of the best vendor ice cream in the Lower Mainland from the canteen at the park entrance. The first show is 2pm Friday. Then events continue on into late evening. Drive along St. John Street in Port Moody, the main drag, and turn North onto Moody St., at the public school. Cross the bridge and you're in. Or use the handy offsite parking lots mentioned on the website's Contact Us page (under The Society menu) to park for free! (They really want you there!) map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=rocky+point+park+port+moody&sll=49.277927,-122.845044&sspn=0.010429,0.017123&g=65+Williams+Street+port+moody&ie=UTF8&z=14&iwloc=A

I always thought Lafarge Lake lights would be the same every year! But I was wrong there's some new…read morestuff they add each time ^^ so it was refreshing to see, it's a cute date idea for free to do with friends or luved ones

My last review had me proclaiming that this was goodbye to Yelp ... as far as 2023 was concerned…read more But I lied - here I am with one final review for this year. Hee! I was very impressed with the holiday display yesterday at the annual - Lights at Lafarge. The display surrounds the entire Lafarge Lake here in Coquitlam, not far from Coquitlam Centre Mall. Kudos to the team that put it all together! The light show was a step up from previous years & this is why I waited to do this review. An easy gentle walk around the lake, budget your time for 1 hour. Dress warm but mind you last night was a Global Warming climate comfortable experience at 10°C/50F with light rain & no breeze. I've experienced this same walk before & it had been quite chilly & heavy with rain. Lucked out too last night cause it was not crowded at all. I've tagged this event for Christmas next year. Rather than ohhhhhhhh & ahhhhhhh you with words, have a look at my pix! Cheers! Oh & did I mention that this was a completely free event? Free as in absolutely free! Come on down! Yahoooooo! Happy new year to all you Yelpies! Bear with me while I catch up with LIKES on your pages. I need to hire a Yelp assistant. Ha! SYOY-24!

6/3/26 Conveniently…read morelocated and fun to experience! Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen a totem pole.. I enjoyed reading the history behind each totem pole and what they represented.. Bathrooms are clean and available..

A beautiful stop along the Coal Harbour waterfront. The Totem Poles offer a glimpse into the rich…read moreIndigenous history and culture of the Pacific Northwest while providing a picturesque backdrop of Vancouver's harbor, mountains, and skyline. The area is clean, easy to access, and perfect for a leisurely walk or a quick photo opportunity. We enjoyed reading about the significance of the carvings and taking in the peaceful atmosphere along the seawall. Worth a stop if you're exploring Coal Harbour or walking between Stanley Park and downtown Vancouver.

The PNE is a classic at the end of the summer with great shows and fun little games and activities…read moreon the sides. There's always a crowd and a line but things move fast sometimes! Also there's lots of washrooms scattered throughout the venue. Buying a ticket online made entering the fair quicker.

I always forget how much fun the PNE can be. From the shows to farm country to the concerts. I…read morehadn't been in a few years and made it there this weekend for a bit of the fair and a concert. Despite the busy-ness of it, we had so much and I'd definitely make a trip down again next summer!

Fun little festival held every Friday for 2 or so blocks along Front street between 6th and Begbie…read more Parking is available on the side streets. Many spots free up at 2000. Looks like a glorified food truck festival, but with a craft beer tent at each end. Also there's are a few booths giving out drink samples. Compared to other festivals in Vancouver (Car Free Day, Italian Day, Khatsahlano Street Party etc.), this one is way less packed. Plenty of room to move around, and other than this one DJ booth, the music isn't so loud one can't hold a conversation. The vibe was pretty family friendly. Lots of people with kids. Best to enjoy it before word gets out and this festival becomes too popular.

I like this fairly relaxed and casual community event over the summer. I managed to pop by twice…read morethis summer and both times I was charmed. It is quite a perfect way to end the work we for those with a typical office desk job. Take the train to either New Westminster or Columbia skytrain station and walk over to Front Street. It is quite a small area covering a few blocks but it is enough to explore. There are about 6 food trucks each Friday and they rotate so it is not the same every week. Unfortunately the schedule of the food trucks only comes out the week itself so check the website often (sometimes there are still last minute changes too). The popular food trucks can be a long wait for the food. I heard some waited for an hour plus. There are live bands and musicians, chalk art and mini simple games for the kids. Some vendors and local businesses. It is not super crowded like some festivals or events in Vancouver. So I like this chill atmosphere where people bring their dogs and children to spend their Friday evenings. I will be back next year!

Having watched the 2010 Winter Olympics on television, I hoped then to someday get the chance to…read morevisit Vancouver to see it in person. Today was that day of a wish coming true. While it seemed more impressive on the tv screen back then, I nevertheless appreciated the moment.

This history with the 2010 Winter Olympics makes this thing seem cooler than it is. I saw some…read morepictures from back when it was lit up with flames and it is in fact pretty spectacular looking. Now it's only lit for special occasions. But besides that as a "landmark" it's just meh. Since I was in this part of Vancouver it was somewhat worth it to stop by just to see it. The big black LEGO dolphin nearby is much cooler.

What would St. Patrick's Day be without some Celtic music? They set up a music stage outside the…read moreVancouver Art Gallery (Oy, I just can't bring myself to call it the VAG as many do). Although it was raining, there was still a lively crowd enjoying the sounds of the North Shore Celtic Ensemble when I visited today. They performed original Celtic folk music with mostly string instruments, a bit of percussion and a few wind instruments. They are a really lively bunch, that jumped down into the audience to get everyone dancing in the rain. Quite a blast! One of the things I continue to love about Vancouver is that such a wide variety of people were in the audience - quite the cultural and economic mix, all coming together and enjoying some wonderful music in the rain. Ah, the joys of Vancouver! There are a ton of venues around town tonight and tomorrow still to continue the celebration. (Thankfully some are even indoors!)

The festival itself doesn't span more than 3 blocks at the most and outside the large corporate…read moretents, I am in it for the small treats. I find that the authentic Irish booths get slimmer with years pass and the corporate booths taking over. I used to make my way out to this, however, they need to refocus the festival a bit more.