A new community event in New Westminster, the On Your Block Festival is a summertime jam with music, food and fun for people of all ages at Tipperary Park.

The goal of the festival is to bring the community together in a safe space and to foster, celebrate and promote unity, collaboration, togetherness, diversity and multiculturalism. The event is hosted by Odihi which is a black-led not-for-profit organization that helps educate, equip, and empower black girls and women.

The first ever On Your Block Festival happened in New Westminster in 2022. It happened again last year on Saturday, July 8th. As of mid-July, the date for the festival in 2024 is to be confirmed. Hopefully it will be happening this year, although exact details are to be confirmed.

For the festival’s official website, visit onyourblockfest.com.

This article includes the following information about the On Your Block Festival:

Location and Time | What to Expect | Entertainment Schedule | The Odihi Organization | Other Information

On Your Block Multicultural Festival at Tipperary Park

2022 was the debut year of the On Your Block Festival. The event is put on by the Odihi organization and is meant to bring together anyone and everyone in the area who wants to attend. At the event there are live music performances, giveaways of different kinds, plenty of food, a beer garden and more.

The inaugural festival took place on July 9th in 2022. The event happened again in 2023 and will hopefully return in 2024. The festival is free to attend and open to people of all ages.

Location and Time

The On Your Block Festival takes place in Tipperary Park at 315 Queens Avenue in New Westminster. It’s the same park where the New West Farmers Market happens on Thursdays for much of the year. The park is just a few blocks (and an eight-minute walk) up the hill from the Columbia SkyTrain Station. It’s also just a block or so from New Westminster’s City Hall.

Last year’s event took place on Saturday, July 8th, from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Tickets are not required to attend the festival. You can just show up whenever and enjoy the event.

For the festival’s official website, visit onyourblockfest.com.

On Your Block Festival Food Trucks — Festival Food Trucks

What to Expect

The On Your Block Festival takes place outdoors in Tipperary Park with various activities to enjoy including some specifically for children. There are food trucks and artisan vendors selling their products. There is also a beer garden with local brews for adults.

At the festival in 2022 plenty of DJs and other musicians performed over the course of the day. They included DJ Oga Rossco, Sam Chimes, Brotha Jason, DJ Costa Besta, Tony Ramirez, Owabowa and more.

Performing at the event in 2023 were Vince Ashton, DJ Oga Rossco, Sam Chimes and DJ Owabowa. There was also DJ Andy, Marcus de Lima, Ahsia, and The Syliva Platters. Other performers this past year included Jennamae, Alite, Luc Lemans, Robert Billard & The Cold Calls, DJ Ice-B, Worst Kept Secret, and Machinale of Social Medium.

2023 Entertainment Schedule

Below was the entertainment lineup for the festival on the Main Stage last year. 2024 details are TBC.

1:00 pm – Welcoming Remarks
1:30 pm – Ahsia & Band
2:30 pm – Rock’n’Beau Kids Party
3:05 pm – DJ Ice-B
4:00 pm – DJ Andy
5:00 pm – DJ Oga Rossco
6:00 pm – Roberts & The Cold Calls
7:00 pm – DJ Owabowa
8:00 pm – Vince Ashton
8:50 pm – Final Remarks & Closing

The entertainment schedule for the Market Stage is listed below.

2:30 pm – Alite
3:25 pm – Luc Lemans
4:20 pm – The Sylvia Platters
5:20 pm – Shman
6:15 pm – Tamami, Ian & Collin

The following artists entertained on the Beer Garden Stage.

2:30 pm – Sam Chimes
3:30 pm – Marcus de Lima
4:30 pm – Jennamae
5:20 pm – Machinale of Socal Medium
6:10 pm – Worst Kept Secret

For the festival’s official website visit onyourblockfest.com.

The Odihi Organization

The organization that hosts the On Your Block Festival is Odihi. Odihi is a local non-profit group that aims to empower black girls and women and help advance their careers. The organization works with various companies and industries to provide partnerships. Odihi often hosts networking and other similar types of events to try and increase the number of black women who are in business.

To learn more about the organization, visit the Odihi website.

On Your Block Festival Market — Market Vendors at the Festival

Other Information

For more information about the event in New Westminster, visit the On Your Block Festival website.

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Vancouver’s Best Places is proud to sponsor the On Your Block Festival. Other events our website sponsored in 2023 include Uptown Live, Carnaval del Sol, Fully Charged Live and various other community events.