Live in the bubble: Canada’s largest bubble tea festival is happening in Burnaby

Boba fans, be ready! The Vancouver Bubble Tea Festival is finally right around the corner, and Swangard Stadium at Central Park is the place to be this weekend.

The event, billed as the largest bubble tea festival in Canada, runs July 22-23.

Ten bubble tea vendors will be set up at the festival, including Truedan, Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea, Bubble Tea Zoo, and others.

The festival will also feature street food from around the world, games, other vendors, and live entertainment.

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And for those who want to try a little of everything, there will be limited tasting menu tickets on offer—vendors will offer samplings of particular types of food and drink for those who have those tickets.

Otherwise, visitors can purchase regular-size food and drinks directly from vendor booths.

There will also be a car show on Saturday from 11am-2pm with about 50 super-cars on site, including Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, and McLaren, among others.

Visitors can expect a steady stream of entertainment throughout the festival as well.

Friday will start off with lots of live music on the schedule, followed by a performance celebrating dance styles from around the world in the afternoon. The dancers from Elite Dance Performance will take the stage later on in the day, and the evening will culminate with a live DJ.

The Tai Ke Rock Talent Show on Saturday at 1pm will see six dance groups face off for the grand prize of $3,000 cash, plus a round trip from Vancouver to Taipei.

There will also be a sustainable fashion show put on Saturday by the Tzu Chi Foundation, featuring plastic that’s been turned into beautiful clothes and dresses.

Other entertainment includes performances from Tian Jin Formation Drums and the Eight Generals Troupe, a collaboration of traditional Chinese folk performance art and drumming for a modern audience.

And because the festival is about all things boba, visitors will be able to participate in a “pearl judging contest” to vote on their favourite bubble tea vendor. The winner of the competition will be announced on Saturday afternoon!

This is the first time Vancouver Bubble Tea Festival has graced Burnaby with its presence; the festival’s inaugural year was supposed to be 2020, but it was delayed because of the pandemic.

Tickets to the festival are $10 and can be purchased at the gate, or via the Fantuan app. The event runs Friday, July 22 from 11am-8pm, and Saturday, July 23 from 11am-5pm.

For more information, be sure to visit the festival website and keep an eye on their Instagram for updates.