The 2019 edition of the Vancouver Water Splashing Festival promises to be bigger and better than ever.
The July 28 event at Swangard Stadium will feature the same core themes as years past: connecting to the past, unique folk artists, song and dance, Chinese food and the water splashing tradition.
Spokesperson Sophia Zhang said this year the festival will mark its 11th instalment with several new elements and an expansion of old favourites.
There will be 100 booths, including a kids zone, health-care zone, home-building materials zone and a dining zone, she said. Both the kids zone and dining zone will be bigger and better than ever, she promised.
And a new tug-of-war competition will pit 12-person teams against one another, with winning female and male teams each winning a $1,000 prize.
Attendance has steadily increased in recent years, peaking at an estimated 25,000 last year, Zhang said.
“It is expected that the number of participants for this year will be increased significantly,” Zhang said at a Thursday press conference previewing this year’s festival.
Bunaby Mayor Mike Hurley also spoke at the press conference, praising the work of organizers from the Canadian Community Service Association and the Chinese Construction and Renovation Association of Canada.
The mayor said Burnaby is proud of its diversity and the importance of the Chinese-Canadian community.
“The Chinese community plays a tremendous role within our community and we are greatly enriched by your presence in our community,” he said.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 28.
