Downtown traffic will yield to Taikos and sumo wrestling as Canada’s oldest Japanese-Canadian festival takes over the area around Oppenheimer Park.
Running Aug. 5 and 6, the Powell Street Festival touts attractions spanning Japanese “blues cowboy” tunes to selfie-shooting competitions on a stage shaped like a massive sushi tray.
The festival is being held under the banner of regeneration, though what that means or how it manifests over the two days is anyone’s call.
“It’s open to interpretation in terms of thinking about things actually regenerating,” said festival artistic director Leanne Dunic.
Heading up the international flavour at the event is the duo of George and Nariko: the former is touted as a Japanese blues cowboy, while the latter hails from Australia and performs on a stringed instrument referred to as a Tsugaru shamisen. Other, more authentic tunes come courtesy of Japan’s Ensemble Liberta and Kissyu, a consortium of Taiko groups from California.
The Firehall Arts Centre will play host to screenings of the 2015 short film Born With It, which explores racial and cultural identify, along with episodes of Almost Asian, a web series that follows creator’s Katie Malia’s experiences as a biracial resident of Los Angeles.
Literary events include a special presentation by iconic Japanese author Haruki Murakami’s key translators Jay Rubin and Ted Goossen, the return of festival-favourite Sally Ito, who will read from her new book Are You an Echo? and performances by Joy Kogawa and Soramaru Takayama.
Food vendors will be situated along Dunlevy and Jackson Avenues, while a craft market, children’s activities and interactive installations will also be spread across the festival grounds.
Partial traffic closures will be in effect near Oppenheimer Park — Jackson and Dunlevy Avenues, Alexander and Cordova streets — and attendees are asked to take transit or cycle to the festival if possible.
A full schedule of the two-day event is online at powellstreetfestival.com.
@JohnKurucz
