Block party takes over Chinatown for second year in a row
Dragon dancers are seen at the Van (B)loc part in Edmonton's Chinatown on June 7, 2025. (Galen McDougall / CTV News Edmonton)
For the second year in a row, a block party is taking over Edmonton's Chinatown this weekend.
Organizers are hoping to continue the momentum of the inaugural Van (B)loc Party last year with performers, vendors, food trucks and a broadcast of the Edmonton Oilers game.
The event is one product of the community receiving nearly $1 million for revitalization and vibrancy projects over the past two years. This year, 14 projects will be funded by the Chinatown Vibrancy Fund, including Van (B)loc, the annual Togather Chinatown Arts Festival, and Lunar New Year celebration.
'I truly believe that in any community, if you have high quality products and services to offer the community, then you attract great skills and talent back into it as well. So the Van (B)loc Party is just another way to increase and enhance that ability to bring great people back into this area,' said Wilson Wong, party organizer and owner of Chinatown restaurant Van Loc.
The vibrancy fund initially allocated $480,000 as a one-year commitment in 2024. Then, city council extended the program by two years. Chinatown will receive another $480,000 in 2026.
Ward O-day'min Coun. Anne Stevenson told CTV News Edmonton it was exciting to see the money's impact take root.
'The city can put out grants, we can invest in infrastructure, but truly it's the businesses, community members and volunteers to make these things happen. So(I'm) grateful to the organizers who have put this together,' she said on Saturday.
'There's a wonderful quotation from Gabor Mate that says, 'Safety isn't just the absence of threat, it's the presence of connection.' So as a community, we have made great strides in terms of reducing threats, reducing crime, but the next piece is really building that sense of connection. Events like this absolutely do that and we will continue to thrive from here.'
The event runs until 11 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Galen McDougall
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Worldwide French music celebration hits high note in Halifax
Musicians are pictured performing in the Halifax public gardens as part of Fête de la musique on June 21, 2025 (Vanessa Wright/CTV Atlantic) Haligonians joined a worldwide celebration Saturday when they enjoyed the sights and sounds of this year's Make Music Day event. 'In French, it's called 'Fête de la musique' because it's a French initiative,' says Melanie Koehnemann, the culture and communications officer for Alliance Française. 'It was born in France in the 80s.' Performances took place at two Halifax locations this year, one at Public Gardens, and the other at a Northwood Care retirement facility. Music fan A music fan claps along during a performance at Fête de la musique in Halifax public gardens on June 21, 2025 (Vanessa Wright/CTV Atlantic) Koehnemann says the event has a history of bringing music outside for everyone to celebrate, anywhere. 'The idea is to propose something different, something accessible and free, because there is no cost to this event,' says Koehnemann. The celebration brought together artists of different genres from the francophone community for the public to enjoy. 'The whole idea of this music is to have people sing and perform it outside – amateurs, professionals,' says musician Suzie Quackenbush, who has performed at the event for about ten years. '(I sing) a lot of folk and I will alternate between English and French.' Robert Brushedd – a musician and member of Alliance Française – also took centre stage at public gardens, performing with his guitar. 'What I did play is just stuff that I've been playing in my apartment over the last while, and I had the guitar since 1983,' says Brushedd. Koehnemann says seeing people from different backgrounds of different ages enjoying Fête de la musique is what they strive for all year. Performances at the Halifax public gardens and Northwood Care retirement facility will wrap up Saturday at 7:15 p.m. music festival A crowd watches a performance at Fête de la musique in Halifax public gardens on June 21, 2025 (Vanessa Wright/CTV Atlantic) For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Rainbow bridge memorial unveiled at Bide Awhile Animal Shelter in Dartmouth, N.S.
Over the Rainbow Bridge is a new park in Dartmouth where pet owners can honour and remember their late four-legged family members.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Tsleil-Waututh house post unveiled in downtown Vancouver on National Indigenous Peoples Day
Syewá:l (Ancestors), a house post carved by Zac George, is pictured in this image handed out by the City of Vancouver. To mark National Indigenous Peoples Day Saturday, a blessing ceremony was held for a new piece of public art that stands in the plaza outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in downtown Vancouver. The six-metre tall səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) house post, titled Syewá:l (Ancestors), honours local First Nations' relationship with the Robson Street corridor, which was historically used for hunting and gathering. The carving is also personal for its artist, Zac George Sko-Kay-Lem. It includes a portrait of his late grandfather, actor and poet Chief Dan George. 'When I learned there was an opportunity to place one of my carvings in the heart of Vancouver, I felt a deep sense of connection,' said George in a news release from the city. 'This land holds stories—my great grandfather spoke of a hunting trail that once ran through what is now downtown Vancouver. To see Coast Salish art re-emerge in these spaces not only nourishes us today, it honours and feeds our ancestors. I know my grandfather, Chief Dan George, would be proud to see our traditions standing tall once again.' The city explained that Coast Salish peoples traditionally carved house posts, as opposed to totem poles created in northern Indigenous cultures, which support beams in longhouses or mark ceremonial spaces, serving both structural and cultural purposes. Along with a depiction of Chief Dan George, Syewá:l (Ancestors) features a wolf head, the symbol of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, and a female figure honouring the women and grandmothers in the artist's family line. There are events all over the Lower Mainland celebrating Indigenous history and culture Saturday. Read more about how to engage with National Indigenous Peoples Day here.
