Once again this year our friends over at The Simon Fraser University (SFU) Anime Club held their signature event, The Summer Festival, which came to a jubilant close the evening of 13 July 2019. The annual free event, which draws anime fans from all across Metro Vancouver, was once again a lively celebration of Japanese pop culture.

This year, the event was held in the West Gym of SFU’s Burnaby Mountain campus with activities and attractions shared between the Gym’s upper and lower floors. Attendees of all ages were treated to a multitude of booths, games and performances to enjoy throughout the day.

Attendees were welcome to take a break and enjoy the stage events, hosted by MCs Shana Edalat and Blair MacDonald where they could view live performances by Vancouver Pianist Corps, local idol dance group Girls’ Secret, local student and musician Hae Rin Kim, and UBC Anime Music. Additionally, they could also cheer on their favorite Cosplay Contest contestants or participate in some of the wild antics of Chance Time!

With the purchase of a $2 hand stamp, attendees were able to play various festival games to win raffle tickets for the grand prize draws, or other small prizes provided by sponsors. The games lineup included returning favorites (Yoyo Tsuri, Fishing, Pin the Twin-Tail) and some new additions (Bowling, Snacktime, Senbonbiki), as well as a JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure-themed scavenger hunt. MANGA.TOKYO and Otsukai, Kotobukiya, Ages Three and Up, and Right Stuf Anime sponsored the event with some figures and Blu-ray sets that were available as prizes; a Disney Princess-themed set of Qposket figures, Son Goku from Dragon Ball Super, two figures of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Holo from Spice & Wolf, Zero Two from Darling in the FranXX, Hirasawa Yui from K-On! and many others.

In the food areas of the event, attendees could find a fantastic selection of sweet and savory snacks: cotton candy, shaved ice, candy bags, and yakisoba from The Summer Festival; handmade parfaits from SFU Japanese Network Club; melonpan from Baker & Table Cafe; Japanese-style hotdogs from Japadog; and vegetarian cuisine from Veggie Lunch.

The biggest draw of the Festival, both literally and figuratively, were the 98 local artists and vendors, each with their own unique style and selection of art and anime merchandise. With such a large variety of prints, can badges, charms and more, from the largest number of exhibitors ever hosted by The Summer Festival, there was something for every attendee. Additionally, attendees could also visit with our community guests from Telus, Anime Revolution, Anime Evolution, Minicomi, SFU Manga Club and UBC Anime Club.

The Summer Festival is a free annual event held at the Simon Fraser University Burnaby campus. It is a family-friendly event that gives fans of art, anime, manga, and music a chance to connect with one another in a modernized matsuri-inspired festival with a Western twist. The Summer Festival is organized by a committee of dedicated SFU students and alumni in conjunction with the SFU Anime Club and the Simon Fraser Student Society. The event has been running for 9 years and began in a room with a small handful of attendees.

Over time, the Summer Festival has attracted guests from all over the Greater Vancouver region, bringing in well over 1,500 people. This year’s Summer Festival was held at the SFU Burnaby West Gym on 13 July 2019 from 13:00 – 20:00.

Sponsors of this year’s Summer Festival included: Right Stuf Anime, Telus Communications, MINISO Canada, Ages Three and Up, Kotobukiya, MANGA.TOKYO and Otsukai, Sakura Media, Crunchyroll, AME Toy & Gift Store, J-Novel Club, Oomomo, and Jukebox Print.

SFU Summer Festival 2019

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Pictures below provided by SFU Summer Festival