This August, Coquitlam is bringing a slice of Korea to Metro Vancouver.
The Kimchi & K-Food Festivalreturns on Aug. 28 and 29, to Town Centre Park, featuring two days of Korean food, live entertainment and engaging cultural activities. Organizers expect more than 120,000 attendees this year, up from the 80,000 folks who came through last year’s debut.
The festival, themed “Taste, Enjoy and Unite,” has quickly grown into Western Canada’s largest Korean food and cultural celebration. The event is based on Korean traditions, and organizers say it’s for everyone to enjoy and experience many sights, tastes and activities that make South Korea a world-class tourist destination.
“We would like to introduce Korean food and Korean culture,” says Brandon Hwang, the festival’s events coordinator. “We are not trying to limit our cultural experience to the local Korean community. We want this to expand into a localized event that Canadian people will enjoy.”
Hwang says the goal is to recreate the experiences travellers often seek when visiting South Korea.
“Anything we are making here is catered for people who can enjoy it when they go to Korea,” he adds. “We’re trying to bring those tourism attractions and experiences into our festival.”
As the name suggests, food is the core highlight of the event. Visitors can explore a bustling K-Street Food Market featuring food trucks and vendor booths serving Korean favourites, including tteokbokki, gimbap and Korean-style hot dogs. Apart from that, there are also multicultural food vendors, retail booths, and an adults-only traditional Korean pub.
Other food highlights include making your own traditional kimchi with guidance from certified instructors. Later, take your freshly made kimchi home in a sealed container. Pre-registration for the class is now open.
Beyond the food, the festival offers many other interactive experiences. Ongoing activities across both the days include a hanbok photo experience, K-beauty workshops, Squid Game-inspired challenges, taekwondo and cultural demonstrations.
One of this year’s major highlights is the K-Pop Dance Championship, where internationally recognized dancer JyoJyo (Jihyo Park) will serve as a judge. Park has collaborated with artists such as BLACKPINK, Lisa, Jessi, and ATEEZ, and has performed in dance workshops across the globe.
This year, 17 talented teams will take the stage, bringing their best K-pop cover performances in an unforgettable battle for the championship.
Kimchi & K-Food Festival 2026
When: Aug. 28 and 29 | 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Town Centre Park, Coquitlam
