BC Dumpling Festival

The BC Dumpling Festival is a newer event that celebrates multiculturalism with different types of dumplings and entertainment in Coquitlam‘s Town Centre Park.

In 2024 the event happens on August 10th. The festival features food, performances and fun things to both see and do. It’s a great festival and admission is free! (Note: In addition to the festival in the summer, there is also a Dumpling Tasting Soirée in Richmond on March 2nd in 2024. See below for details.)

For the summer festival’s official website, visit bcdumplingfest.ca.

Vancouver’s Best Places is a proud sponsor of this great community event!

This article includes the following information about the BC Dumpling Festival:

When and Where | What to Expect | Entertainment Schedule (in 2023) | Dumpling Tasting Soirée | Other Information

BC Dumpling Festival

The BC Dumpling Festival celebrates the diverse communities in the Tri-Cities area (which includes the communities of Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Anmore and Belcarra). It’s a great opportunity for people to get together outdoors and enjoy food, entertainment and different cultures. The event is family-friendly and free to attend.

The inaugural BC Dumpling Festival took place in 2022 and was presented by the Asian Arts & Culture Society. The non-profit organization behind the event was formed after racist hate crimes took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The society promotes multiculturalism by hosting arts and cultural events.

When and Where

The third annual BC Dumpling Festival takes place in 2024 on Saturday, August 10th. Last year the event ran from 11:00 am until 8:00 pm. It will likely be the same in 2024, although exact details are to be confirmed. All festivities are held at Town Centre Park, located at 1299 Pinetree Way in the City of Coquitlam.

Organizers of the event recommend taking public transit as the venue is close to the Lafarge Lake-Douglas SkyTrain Station. For folks wanting to drive, there are multiple parking lots at the park. All are accessible from Pinetree Way. If planning to drive, however, go early! The place will get busy!

For full details about the event, visit the official BC Dumpling Festival website.

Place des Arts at BC Dumpling Festival

What to Expect

The first BC Dumpling Festival was a huge success. The 2022 event was attended by more than 20,000 people!

There were over 30 different community organizations at the event in 2023. Hungry folks also had a large selection of food to choose from, including around a dozen food stalls and 10 or so food trucks.

Menus at the event aren’t limited to dumplings, although there are plenty of different dumplings available from various cultures. Popular items in 2022 included mandu, wontons and bao bao. There were also plant based dumplings, ravioli, siopao and more.

A lot of food was sold at the event in 2022 including close to 15,000 Korean dumplings, 4,500 vegetarian dumplings, 10,500 wontons, 10,000 servings of bao bao and 800 Jamaican patties!

At the festival there are crowds of families and friends taking in all the vendors and live entertainment. Expect to see numerous cultures represented on stage. The BC Dumpling Festival is also a good opportunity to taste flavours from different regions of the world. It’s a fabulous event!

Food Vendor at BC Dumpling Festival

Entertainment Schedule (in 2023)

The BC Dumpling Festival uses the TD Community Plaza as its main stage. The location is beautiful as the amphitheatre is adjacent to Lafarge Lake.

Various forms of entertainers hit the stage throughout the event including dancers, singers, musicians and more. Listed below was the full schedule of performances for 2023.

Note: Exact times and performer details were subject to change.

11:00 am – Canada Chung-ang Korean Drum Dance
11:15 am – Welcome Speeches
11:30 am – Dumpling Eating Contest
12:00 pm – MAMAKEISH NO.1 KPOP ACADEMY
12:30 pm – Canada Chung-ang Korean Dance
12:55 pm – A3 District Dance Group
1:30 pm – Alicia & Alexis
2:00 pm – Qianyun Guzheng Music School
2:30 pm – Charm Dance Company – Min Lee
2:45 pm – Royal Muse
3:30 pm – Rangla Dance
4:00 pm – Vancouver Gayageum Ensemble
4:40 pm – Argel Monte de Ramos
5:30 pm – Nadia Lund
6:00 pm – BO Dance Studio
6:30 pm – Coco Project Band
7:45 pm – Closing Remarks

DUMPLING TASTING SOIREE

Related to the BC Dumpling Festival and new for 2024, the Dumpling Tasting Soirée took place at the BCIT Aerospace Building at 800 Cessna Drive in Richmond. It happened on Saturday, March 2nd, from 6:00 until 10:00 pm.

The March 2nd multicultural event in Richmond featured a wide variety of dumplings to taste as well as live music, adult beverages and a dumpling tasting competition. There were also both live and silent auctions with partial proceeds from funds raised benefiting the Richmond Hospital Foundation.

Tickets cost $110 for general admission (which included dumpling tastings). For $145 you could get the same general admission benefits, plus curated drinks. Early Bird tickets cost $20 less, but you had to buy them in 2023.

For details about the Dumpling Tasting Soirée in 2024, see the BC Dumpling Festival website.

Dumplings