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
6 hours ago
- CTV News
CTV National News: Prince Edward draws crowds in P.E.I. for royal visit and military parade
Watch CTV's Maria Sarrouh captures the excitement as the Duke of Edinburgh wraps up his P.E.I. stop with a grand military parade on his Canadian tour.
CTV News
6 hours ago
- CTV News
CTV National News: Toronto Pride weekend wraps up month-long celebrations in Ontario
Watch CTV's Scott Lightfoot captures the vibrant sights and sounds of Pride Weekend in Toronto, marking the grand finale of Pride Month festivities.
CTV News
9 hours ago
- CTV News
Moose Jaw artist looks to connect Indigenous culture through artwork
The art of Floral Dot Art Acrylic Paintings took place at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum on Saturday. (Damian Smith / CTV News) An artist from Moose Jaw is looking to connect Indigenous culture through artwork. The art of Floral Dot Art Acrylic Paintings, hosted by the Traditional Knowledge Keepers Program, took place at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum on Saturday. Led by Moose Jaw artist Sadi-Rose Vaxvick, participants looked to improve their skills in the art of dot painting. Vaxvick, of Ochapowace First Nation, uses these workshops as a way to connect participants with Indigenous culture. Dot painting The art of Floral Dot Art Acrylic Paintings took place at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum on Saturday. (Damian Smith / CTV News) 'We shared some knowledge of where the originators came from, such as prehistoric, rock pictographs, drawings of Cree and Metis beadwork,' she explained. 'All my artwork seems to be focused on creating dots and focusing on the ceremony and reconnecting back to my Nêhiyaw culture.' Throughout the day, music from Fawn Wood played in the background as around a dozen participants gathered to use these dot paintings as a way to wind down. 'It's very therapeutic and it's healing,' she said. 'A lot of my artwork contains healing and from intergenerational trauma and I like the silence that everyone gives. You can tell we're all here gathered to create our own pieces of artwork and we're all healing in our own way.' Symbolism remains a key component to this workshop. Florals, silhouettes of animals including thunderbird, buffalo, and turtles were common choices around the room. Strawberries were also a common theme, as the objects painted are native to the Saskatchewan land.
