Five reasons to be in Holland Park
MULTICULTURAL CELEBRATION: Event showcases music, food, crafts and dance from around the world
1 Music
Reggae star Maxi Priest headlines the World Music Stage on July 23, while Vancouver fusion band Delhi 2 Dublin does the honours July 24. Other performers include Smithers-based singer Alex Cuba, who performed recently at the Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill, and Surrey-based folk-pop band Good For Grapes.
2 Food
Now in its ninth year, B.C.’s largest multicultural celebration regularly features pavilions that showcase food from different part of the world. This year, visitors will be able to choose from over 35 countries, including Ghana, Indonesia, Turkey and El Salvador. Meanwhile, a cooking stage features celebrity and locally-known chefs, including MasterChef Canada contestant Tammy Wood and Chopped Canada’s Ryan Reed.
3 Crafts
The pavilions also feature cultural artifacts and crafts, including handmade olive wood handicrafts at the Palestinian pavilion, batik at the Indonesian pavilion, jewelry and leather products at the Pakistan pavilion, and more.
4 Dance
The multicultural theme is reflected in dance as well as food and music, with HanYang Arts (Chinese folk dance), AC Dancers (Filipino folk and traditional dance), Chinese Canadian Seniors Society of Song and Dance, Old Elk Powwow Dance Troupe (Salish and Cree dancers), and James Jones (a traditional hoop and Powwow dancer who has worked with the Canadian hip-hop/electronic group A Tribe Called Red) among those demonstrating traditional and contemporary dance from different parts of the world.
5 Other performers
All told, there are five stages and over 150 performers, including kids’ acts, martial artists, and even The Re-Enactors, a group of professional actors who recreate the lives of Surrey pioneers.