A new cultural festival is coming to Metro Vancouver this summer, with Korea’s most iconic dish taking centre stage.
The first-ever Kimchi & K-Food Festival will take over the parking lot by Lougheed Town Centre SkyTrain Station from September 5 to 6, and entrance is free. The event is being presented by Brownbag Business Community and the Burnaby North Road BIA.
“It will be the largest Korean food-focused event ever held in Western Canada,” says festival chair JaeHwan Kim in an email to V.I.A. “While there have been other Korean cultural events, this is the first to place kimchi at the centre…Kimchi is more than just food–it represents Korean identity.”
Food lovers can make their own kimchi, and sample popular Korean street food items like tteokbokki and hotteok at the K-Street Food Zone, inspired by Seoul’s bustling Gwangjang Market. With more than 80 local food trucks and vendors on-site, visitors can also choose from other international cuisines, from Indian and Vietnamese to Japanese and Filipino.
On stage, expect a high-energy mix of multicultural performances, live music, K-pop cover dances and a breaking dance battle.
Offstage, guests can try on hanbok (tradtional clothing) and take photos, participate in traditional craft-making workshops, or play beloved Korean games that appear in Squid Games: dalgona carving, ttakji (paper slap), gonggi (Korean jacks), jegichagi (Korean hacky sack) and more.
“The festival is for everyone–families, students, newcomers, and longtime locals,” Kim says. “It’s a place where people from different backgrounds can come together through food and shared experience.”
Kimchi & K-Food Festival
When: Friday, Sept. 5, and Saturday, Sept. 6, from noon to 9 p.m.
Where: Parking lot by Lougheed Town Centre SkyTrain Station - 9755 Lougheed Highway, Burnaby
Cost: Free
