On September 23 & 24, 2023, the Chinatown Celebration Society is hosting the third annual Fire Dragon Festival, bringing this Mid-Autumn celebration back to the community once again.
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Over two days, the festival will host events and activities across Chinatown, from the new Chinese Canadian Museum at 51 East Pender to the Chinatown Memorial Square at 105 Keefer. Highlights include a craft market from local artists, walking tours of the neighbourhood, painting, lantern-making, and lion dance workshops, and of course, the Fire Dragon eye-dotting ceremony and parade.
2022 Fire Dragon Festival Parade. Photo credit: Jonathan Desmond.
The Fire Dragon Festival was originally celebrated by the Hakka village of Tai Hang in Hong Kong to ward off plague and misfortune in the late 19th century. Tai Hang has continued this annual celebration continuously since 1880, only foregoing the festival during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong and the COVID-19 pandemic. Here in Vancouver, community organizers introduced the Fire Dragon Festival in 1975, but the festival did not return until 2021 under the former Legacy Stewardship Group. Since 2022, the Fire Dragon Festival has been organized by the Chinatown Celebration Society.
“Members of the former Legacy Stewardship Group of Chinatown saw a need to preserve the Fire Dragon Festival to continue the mandate of promoting the culture and heritage of Vancouver’s Chinatown. Since 2022, the Chinatown Celebration Society has organized this important, community-centred festival recognizing that the residents are at the core of our living community.”
The highlight of the festival is the Fire Dragon eye-dotting ceremony and parade, being held at 7:00pm on Saturday, September 23. The eye-dotting ceremony brings the dragon to life, and with lit incense sticks covering the dragon’s straw body, the parade up Keefer Street will be quite the sight to behold.
Key Info:
When: Saturday, September 23 from 1o:00am to 9:00pm & Sunday September 24 from 11:00am to 3:00pm
Where: Chinatown Memorial Plaza next to 105 Keefer, Chinese Canadian Museum at 51 East Pender, and Carrall Street between Keefer & Pender
Cost: Free!
Things to bring:
- Water to stay hydrated
- A sweater to keep warm in the evening
More information is available on the event page and website. Volunteers are always welcome: sign up is available on the Fire Dragon Festival website.
Site Map & Parade Route
Map of the Fire Dragon Festival 2023 Site, showing the Chinese Canadian Museum at 51 East Pender, the Chinatown Memorial Square at 105 Keefer, and the start of the parade at Carrall Street between Keefer and Pender Streets.
Event Schedule
Fire Dragon 2023 Schedule. See the event page or website for a more detailed schedule of events.
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