COQUITLAM — The sunlit pathways of Town Centre Park became a tapestry of colour and food on Aug. 15 as the fifth annual BC Dumpling Festival filled the downtown green space with music, dance and the smell of steaming dumplings.
Community and culture converge
Organized by the Asian Arts and Culture Society, the free festival aimed to celebrate culinary traditions while strengthening community ties that the society says were formed in response to a rise in anti-Asian incidents during the pandemic.
More than two dozen food vendors offered a wide range of dumpling styles and accompaniments, and the festival programming included cultural displays, a children’s zone, an arts area and a full slate of live entertainment that kept the main stage busy throughout the afternoon.
"More than two dozen food vendors helped fill bellies and a lineup of live entertainment swelled hearts at the fifth annual Dumpling Festival at Coquitlam’s Town Centre Park on Saturday, Aug. 15."
Performances, pageantry and friendly competition
The Hong De Vancouver Dragon & Lion Dance Team performed on the main stage, adding traditional pageantry to the celebrations. Community groups staffed cultural pavilions and demonstrations, offering visitors an opportunity to connect with local arts and heritage organisations.
Festival highlights included a dumpling-eating competition that featured elected officials and community leaders. According to event photography and captions, Jake Sawatzky, MP for New Westminster–Burnaby–Maillardville, won the first round for elected officials and community leaders, while local resident Mitch Vessair won the second round of the open competition.
Local businesses and returning champions
The festival also recognised local food vendors: Ipse Mandu, operated by Manchan Foods, was noted as the Best Overall winner in both 2024 and 2025. That repeat recognition underlines the competitive spirit among the vendors and the importance of food quality to attendees.
| Competition or recognition | Winner | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First round (elected officials/community leaders) | Jake Sawatzky | MP for New Westminster–Burnaby–Maillardville |
| Second round (open competition) | Mitch Vessair | Local participant |
| Best Overall (2024 & 2025) | Ipse Mandu (Manchan Foods) | Repeat winner |
What the festival offered
- Food: Over two dozen vendors serving a range of dumpling styles.
- Entertainment: Live music, dragon and lion dance performances on the main stage.
- Community space: Cultural pavilions, kids’ zone and arts area to engage families and neighbours.
Organisers said the Asian Arts and Culture Society emerged in the wake of higher-profile anti-Asian comments and criminal incidents during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and the festival is part of ongoing efforts to create visible, positive cultural programming in Metro Vancouver. The event attracted families and cultural groups from across the region, using public space in the heart of Coquitlam to strengthen community connections.
Town Centre Park has become a regular venue for outdoor cultural festivals in Coquitlam’s growing downtown. As the city continues to densify, community-led events such as the BC Dumpling Festival provide public gathering places where new and long-standing residents can connect over shared food and culture.
For many vendors and performers, the festival serves both as a showcase and a barometer: return visits and repeat awards suggest a stable local appetite for culturally specific food enterprises, while the crowds and wide programming underline the role such festivals play in civic life.
The BC Dumpling Festival’s fifth edition reiterated those themes — food, culture and community — within walking distance of Coquitlam Centre and the SkyTrain station, making it an accessible celebration for the city’s diverse population.
