After two years, the Chinatown Spring Festival Parade returns to usher in the Year of the Rabbit and celebrate of Chinese culture and heritage in Vancouver.
Chinatown Spring Festival Parade 2023
When: Sunday, January 22, 2023 at 11:00am to 1:30pm
Where: The 1.3-km long route starts at the Millennium Gate on Pender Street (between Shanghai Alley and Taylor Street), proceeds east along Pender Street, turns south onto Gore Street, turns west onto Keefer Street and then ends on Keefer at Abbott. Click here for a map.
Enjoy the Chinatown Spring Festival Fair at the Sun Yat-Sen Plaza 2:00pm to 4:00pm and a gala dinner at 6:00pm at Floata Seafood Restaurant.
Ticketed Events
Additional events and activities nearby at the Chinatown Storytelling Centre include: The Power of Animation by Trevor Lai (Saturday, January 21); and Year of the Rabbit Celebrations: Meet the God of Wealth and Paint a Lucky Rabbit (Sunday, January 22).
At the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden enjoy festivities Saturday and Sunday as well from 11:00am to 6:00pm. There will be arts and crafts, performances, lanterns, tea ceremonies, and the opening of a new exhibition by Chairman Ting. All tickets/donations will go toward supporting our Xiao Seniors Program, Traditional Arts Workshops and Educational Programs and ongoing conservation projects at the Garden.
This weekend we celebrate the Year of the Rabbit and all across the region there are events and activities for all ages! Miss604 is also the social media sponsor of TEDxSurrey, happening on Saturday. You can find all of these events and many more things to do in Vancouver this weekend listed below:
Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend January 20 to 22, 2023
Metropolis at Metrotown, the largest shopping centre in BC, will usher in the Year of the Rabbit with cultural workshops, live entertainment and atmospheric décor January 22, and running through February 5, 2023.
Lunar New Year at Metropolis at Metrotown – Photo submitted
Welcome the Year of the Rabbit at Metropolis at Metrotown
Embrace the ambience with Lunar New Year displays While shopping at Metropolis at Metrotown during Lunar New Year festivities, visitors will wander among cheerful lanterns and delicate cherry blossoms.
Learn the intricacies of traditional Chinese art Certain art forms have been practiced in Chinese culture for thousands of years. During Lunar New Year, Metropolis at Metrotown will host a variety of art workshops, including calligraphy and paper cutting, for shoppers of all ages.
Marvel at dazzling dance performances Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during Lunar New Year celebrations, cultural dance troupes will mesmerize audiences with visual storytelling.
Watch a fiery Lion Dance The lion dance is performed to ensure prosperity and good luck for the upcoming year. Hosted by performers of all ages, the lion dance at Metropolis at Metrotown will bless the shopping centre, along with retailers and shoppers, on January 25 at 10am.
Snap a photo with the God of Wealth Tsai Shen Yeh, or the God of Wealth, will bring good fortune and blessings to shoppers, who can take a photo with the deity as a lucky souvenir.
Indulge in delectable Chinese cuisine Chef Tony’s Dim Sum and T&T Supermarket, both located at Metropolis at Metrotown, serve authentic Chinese fare. During Lunar New Year, shoppers can sample a snack box with seeds, candy and lotus, or shop at Tong Ren Tang for traditional Chinese herbs.
Spin for lucky money Shoppers who spend $188 or more (before tax; must present same-day receipt) can test their luck by spinning a wheel to win a $20 gift card from Metropolis at Metrotown, T&T Supermarket, Walmart, Real Canadian Superstore or Hudson’s Bay Company. Spin again to earn a wish for good health, prosperity or fortune, along with a surprise gift box. Bonus: any shopper who visits Metropolis at Metrotown during Lunar New Year can enter to win one of three gift cards for $888.
Give back to increase your own good fortune For every shopper who spins the wheel for lucky money, Metropolis at Metrotown will donate $5 to Angels on Earth Society. The Burnaby-based charity provides cultural education to students at no cost, with a focus on different elements of Chinese culture.
Enter to Win
I have a $188 Metropolis at Metrotown gift card to give away! Enter to win in the contest box below, and follow Miss604 and Metropolis at Metrotown on Instagram for updates:
Nominations are now open for the 20th anniversary of the Small Business BC Awards, British Columbia’s largest awards competition dedicated exclusively to small businesses.
Small Business BC Awards 2023
Nomination a small business in the following categories:
Businesses can enter a total of two categories: Premier’s People’s Choice Award and one of the three Business Pitch Categories.
The top five finalists for each category will be announced in late March, and they will do business pitches for a panel of judges in April. The winners will be announced at an in-person gala on June 2, 2023.
2022 Winners
Last year there were 636 nominations in 88 communities! Each business saw their communities come out in numbers, registering over 38,000 votes for businesses in our two categories: Business Impact Award and SBBC People’s Choice Award.
The original Business Plan contest launched in 2003 (Successful You Awards), and now the Small Business BC Awards, which has grown to become Western Canada’s largest Awards competition dedicated to small business.
During that time, over 6,000 small businesses from across our province have participated, representing every community and every industry. It is estimated that over 500,000 people have cast a vote in the awards over the years, taking the time to acknowledge and celebrate the hard work that goes into starting a small business.
Nominate your own business or a business you love today!
Vive les Voyageurs Festival at Fort Langley returns for its 12th season to enliven your senses with the traditional foods, music and culture of the 19th century French-Canadian and Métis fur traders.
Vive Les Voyageurs at Fort Langley – Photo submitted
Vive les Voyageurs Festival at Fort Langley
When: Saturday, January 21 to Sunday, January 22, 2023 10:00am to 5:00pm
Where: Fort Langley National Historic Site (23433 Mavis Ave, Langley)
Tickets: Regular admission fees apply. $8.50 per adult; $7.00 per senior; Free for youth 17 and under & annual pass holders
Learn about the French-Canadian trappers and voyageurs who helped shape the history of the region and of Fort Langley National Historic Site. Watch French-Canadian singing, jigging, and musical performances, participate in wooden spoon and jigging demonstrations, and taste authentic maple taffy and poutine. Learn about the new York Boat and Red River Cart exhibits from the Métis woodworker who made them, and engage with Métis historians.
Other upcoming events at Fort Langley include: A medicinal roller ball workshop with Join Deanna Miller (sxwnem) of Katzie First Nation on February 11th, and Family Day activities on February 20th.
