Scene: Chinatown Festival

Thousands showed up to celebrate Chinese culture.

By Michael Fraiman

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Two women eating lamb skewers on the sidelines of Dundas Street West.

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Two women eating lamb skewers on the sidelines of Dundas Street West.

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A traditional sword dance.

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A traditional sword dance.

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We're not sure how "Spin the Wheel for Seniors' Awareness" works, but presumably seniors get more than one spin.

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We’re not sure how “Spin the Wheel for Seniors’ Awareness” works, but presumably seniors get more than one spin.

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This little girl confronted her fear of giant Chinese dragon heads on Sunday, July 20.

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This little girl confronted her fear of giant Chinese dragon heads on Sunday, July 20.

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Downtime at the Chinatown Festival.

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Downtime at the Chinatown Festival.

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Who says white men can't jump (around in Chinese dragon dances)?

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Who says white men can’t jump (around in Chinese dragon dances)?

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Serving up lamb skewers to a long and hungry line.

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Serving up lamb skewers to a long and hungry line.

WHERE: Near Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue

WHEN: Saturday, July 19, to Sunday, July 20

WHAT: Despite two days of rain and streetcar-related construction 50 metres away, Toronto’s 14th annual Chinatown Festival carried on with a vast array of food and traditional Chinese performances. The crowd skewed older; they were delighted to see mid-century Chinese standards performed onstage by a woman in a 1960s-style dress. A walk through the vendors, meanwhile, plainly revealed that it was not Chinese culture alone that was being celebrated—Korean beauty supplies, Spanish churros, Canadian Beaver Tails, Japanese squid, and kettle-popped corn surpassed the small selection of Chinese smoothies and lamb skewers. And even though some booths closed early due to rainfall and low turnout on the first day, the festival still managed to draw tens of thousands of revellers.

Photos by Michael Fraiman.