As spring approaches, Vancouver’s festival season begins to awaken. Running until March 5, The Dancers of Damelahamid First Nations Dance Festival celebrates its 10th season at the Museum of Anthropology. The festival brings together Indigenous performers from the Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Atlantic provinces, with visiting artists from Alaska, Hawai’i and New Zealand. This year’s program also features special guests such as the Tau Dance Theater from Hawai’i, the Haida troupe Rainbow Creek and the 50-member Coast Salish Tsatsu Stalquayu ensemble.
From March 10–17, Robson Square and the Celtic Village venues will host a variety of bands and performers for CelticFest Vancouver. Highlights include the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir, The Paperboys, North Shore Celtic Ensemble, Eire Born Irish Dancers and Tillers Folly. The festival combines traditional music, dance and community gatherings for a lively week of cultural celebration.
Following CelticFest, the Persian New Year Fire Festival runs from March 14–21. The festival features Persian music concerts, traditional food, dancing and the ritual of fire jumping, where participants leap over small fires as part of the New Year celebrations. Events are designed to share Persian customs and hospitality with the wider community.