The smell of fresh Belgian waffles, deep fried fish and chips and spicy dishes collided with the sounds of Bhangra and Afrobeats at the inaugural Richmond World Festival on Saturday.
The celebration of cultural diversity was held at Minoru Park with 45 food carts serving eclectic dishes ranging from bannock to Fijian cuisine, a mixture of live music including Grammy winner Alex Cuba and indie-pop headliner Matt and Kim. Besides music and food, there were numerous activities, such as poetry reading, lion dancing, Cantonese opera and exhibit, and a turban tying demonstration.
“It was busy right from the start,” said city spokesperson Ted Townsend, who estimated about 25,000 attended the free, one-day event.
There were also exhibits showcasing Metis and Ecuadorian culture, an artisan marketplace, cooking demonstrations and inflatable sumo costumes for people to tryout. Your Kontinent hosted a digital carnival and there was also an afternoon Vancouver Asahi baseball game held at Latrace baseball diamond.
As Bhangra band En Karma performed, Mindy Phipps and Melissa Balback were one of many dancing along with their kids. The two friends came in a group of 12 people from Steveston, taking in the entertainment and food.
“I was curious about the new event,” Balback said.
“It’s been really good and I’m glad we came out to take advantage...”
“It’s a really great event for the family and nice to see the cultural diversity,” Phipps said. “I can’t wait to come back next year.”
Lina Ho came with her brother David Chen, along with his daughter and granddaughter. Chen’s daughter had brought home a brochure about the event, prompting them to make the trek from Port Coquitlam to Richmond. It was worth the drive, Ho said.
“The weather is great, the people are great, the entertainment is great, everything is awesome,” said Ho, while dancing with her brother.
