TJ Fest

TJ Fest is a community festival hosted by the Tian Jin Temple in Burnaby. It features Taiwanese food and multicultural performances on a weekend in May.

The festival takes place on May 4th and 5th in 2024.

This article contains the following information about TJ Fest:

TJ Fest in Burnaby

Affiliated with Vancouver’s ExplorASIAN Festival, TJ Fest is a festival that celebrates multiculturalism in Metro Vancouver. The “TJ” in TJ Fest stands for Tian Jin which is the name of the temple that hosts the event each year. The inaugural TJ Fest event happened in 2012. The festival has grown over the last decade into one of Burnaby’s most popular mid-sized community events.

TJ Fest is a family-friendly festival with several different things to do. Most years there is a small market with local vendors representing a variety of cultures. There is also usually a good selection of food available for purchase including Taiwanese street and festival foods. The other major component of TJ Fest is its live entertainment. Performances take place outdoors each year and offer everyone a chance to appreciate art forms from different countries. This year, the festival also features carnival-style games for all ages.

The annual TJ Fest event is a part of the larger ExplorASIAN Festival which is hosted by the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society. The ExplorASIAN Festival features over 60 events, many of which are free to attend, including TJ Fest.

When and Where

TJ Fest takes place over a weekend in May most years on the Tian Jin Temple property as well as in the middle of the street. The temple’s address is 3426 Smith Avenue in Burnaby.

In 2024 TJ Fest happens on the Saturday and Sunday of May 4th and 5th. The festival takes place from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm on both days.

TJ Fest Food Vendors at Work — Food Vendors at TJ Fest

What to Expect at TJ Fest

At the festival you can expect to see folks of all ages outside the Tian Jin Temple taking in all the festivities. There are lots of stalls in the market area which is where local vendors and community groups set up to promote their organizations and sell products to the festival’s attendees.

There is another area at the event with even larger tents most years. This is typically where you’ll find most of the food available for sale. Unlike many regular markets, however, it’s not just a selection of pre-packaged treats or baked goods. Instead, there is fresh food available at TJ Fest that is often being cooked and prepared in front of you. Expect there to be a large variety of street food available, so be sure to come hungry and enjoy a tasty lunch!

Although most of the event is about Taiwanese culture, and Taoism, many other cultures are at the festival too. This is best seen through the variety of live performances. There is an outdoor stage where musicians and dancers provide entertainment. Some performances are traditional and culturally significant, so TJ Fest is a good place to learn about a multitude of cultures. The stage area also has several roundtables with chairs and stools, and there are more places to eat out on the street.

Food at the Festival

TJ Fest features a variety of fresh food available for purchase. Some of the menu items often include Taiwanese pork belly burgers, vegetarian burgers, popcorn chicken and a few different bento boxes. There are also noodles, deep fried pork chops, pork sausages, buns and more to enjoy.

Inside the Tian Jin Temple

About Tian Jin Temple

Tian Jin Temple is a Taoist temple. It’s an A-framed building that used to be an Anglican church. Taoism is an ancient Chinese religion, or philosophy, that emphasizes living in harmony with the universe.

Affiliated with the Chinese Taoism Kuan-Kung Association in Canada, the Tian Jin Temple is a temple that worships Kwan Kung who was a Chinese god of war and wealth. Some believe that Kwan Kung might also have been a real-life Chinese general.

In 2012 the Tian Jin Temple, when it acquired the building from the Anglican church, became the first Taoist temple in the country that worships Kwan Kung.

Statue at the Tian Jin Temple — A Statue in the Temple

TJ Fest Video

For a really good idea of what to expect at TJ Fest, check out the following video. It shows what the event looked like in 2022.

As you’ll see in the video, TJ Fest is a good-sized event. There are market vendors and stalls where community organizations set up. There is also a large food vendor area where volunteers cook up all kinds of tasty and exotic treats. On the property there is also an outdoor stage where dancing, singing, drumming and other performances take place. The drummer in the video we believe is Korean.

At the festival you can also go inside the temple and have a look around. A lot of people attend this event!

Other Information

For more information about the festival, visit the TJ Fest website. To learn more about the other event (or series of events) that TJ Fest is a part of, see our article about the ExplorASIAN Festival.

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