Last updated: July 20, 2026
From wine and cocktail pop-ups to street festivals that take over half the neighbourhood, there’s something about blue skies and longer days that takes the energy of Chinatown to a whole other level. If you’re looking for things to do this summer — and get a little sun while you’re at it — here are some cool things that are happening around the neighbourhood.
Bar Supernova’s Rooftop Pop-Up Series
When: Every Friday through Sunday, all summer long.
Spend your weekends exactly where you should be: under the sun, on a rooftop patio, cocktail in hand. The Michelin Award-winning duo behind Bar Supernova – the highly-anticipated concept opening on the ground floor of Keefer House later this summer – is teasing their cocktails high above the street on the Keefer House rooftop with the “Dude, Where’s My Bar?!” pop-up series. Expect a rotating DJ and city views that stretch for miles. It’s a pretty impressive placeholder before their permanent home is ready for business. By reservation only, entry is by digital code access.
BMO Vancouver Chinatown Festival
When: July 25-26, noon to 6pm.
Free and family-friendly, Vancouver’s longest-running Chinatown festival returns for its 24th year — right on Keefer and Columbia Street. Expect a full stage schedule with lion dance performances and live music, food vendors, prizes, and a neighbourhood at full capacity.
Learn more about the Vancouver Chinatown Festival.
Light Up Chinatown
When: August 8–9. Saturday 11am–7pm, Sunday 11am–5pm.
A free two-day outdoor event, Light Up Chinatown is the neighbourhood’s biggest annual festival. Catch live dance and musical performances by local artists, explore the neighbourhood with a passport-and-prize game, and try exclusive collaborations between Chinatown’s chefs and bakers — think meatball dumplings from Say Hey Deli and Dicky’s Dumps, and a “Chinatown affogato” from DD Mau, New Town Bakery, and Keem Ice Cream (featuring brown butter pineapple bun ice cream and whipped Vietnamese coffee – YUM.).
Learn more about Light Up Chinatown.
Annabelle’s Evening Wine Pop-up Series
When: Details coming soon.
Known for some of the most creative pastries in town, Annabelle’s launched its Evening Wine Pop-Up Series this summer — and the next installment is already in the works. Volume I was a Korean-Mexican street food collaboration, complete with tacos, fusion snacks, and complimentary banchan. We can’t wait to see what’s coming next.
Grape Vibes Wine Bar Pop-up
When: All summer long.
A few minutes south on Main Street, behind The Boxcar‘s back patio, Grape Vibes pours natural wine out of a converted shipping container with picnic tables, string lights, and a rotating list of low-intervention bottles built for patio season. Split a bottle in the sun, and grab a bite from the rotating food truck or Mortadella next door (the mortadella-pistachio slice is next level). No wine expertise required.
Explore the Neighbourhood
From heritage buildings to vintage shops to some of the best cocktail bars in the city, summer is the best time to stroll the streets of Chinatown and take it all in. Mornings are for wandering – the cafes and family-run shops open early. By evening, the same blocks shift gears entirely, with patios filling up and neon signs flickering on one by one. Find our team’s favourite year-round spots in our Chinatown Neighbourhood Guide.
Where to Stay in Chinatown
As the neighbourhood’s only hotel, Keefer House puts you steps from Chinatown’s best. Spacious apartments complete with full kitchens, and private patios that put you in the heart of Vancouver’s most electric grid. Whether you’re in town for a long weekend or until the end of summer, you can settle in and stay like you own it.
Ready to explore Chinatown? Book your stay at Keefer House and stay in a neighbourhood worth exploring.
