Bannock to beads, ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl: Come Toward the Fire features a range of vendors, September 14
Also appearing at the Indigenous-led festival are makers of everything from clothing to cookies
Sweetgrass Soap.
Up the River Baking.
Chan Centre for the Performing Arts and Musqueam present ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl: Come Toward the Fire on September 14 from 12 pm to 7 pm
CELEIGH CARDINAL, DIGAWOLF, and Hayley Wallis are just some of the artists performing at ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl: Come Toward the Fire, a free, family-friendly Indigenous-led festival taking place on September 14 at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) territory. There’s also a long list of vendors who will be on-site with everything from bannock to beads.
Consider Up the River Baking, an Indigenous woman-owned business of self-taught cookie artists. They make sugar cookies in all kinds of shapes and styles, each one decorated in detail. Among the varieties that will be available at ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl: Come Toward the Fire are those with orange icing and the phrase “Every child matters”. Proceeds will be going to the All Nations Outreach Society, a nonprofit group that provides support to people living in the Downtown Eastside through a weekly lunch program.
Then there’s Golden Bannock, which makes the famous fry bread and serves burgers and Indian tacos atop thick slices of it.
Other food vendors include Mahshiko, which serves up healthy Korean food; Juicy Green Express Inc., which carries drinks like lemonade and bubble tea; and Shameless Buns, which specializes in Filipino cuisine.
Amanda Ruth Beads.
Then there are vendors selling other, nonedible goods, such as Native by Nature, a clothing brand that fuses urban hip-hop style and Indigenous heritage; Sweetgrass Soap, a skin-care line that includes body butter and sugar scrubs; and Amanda Ruth Beads, a collection of beaded earrings and other jewellery. Beadwork is also the basis of little Métis things, which sells earrings, medallions, and lanyards.
Ryan Hughes is the Snuneymuxw First Nation artist behind Ryan Salish Art; look for so many carvings on materials like yellow- and red-cedar discs. Love the Land Apparel is a sister company of Talaysay Tours; owned by Candace Campo, it features hoodies, shirts, sweatpants, hats, tuques, and more.
Two Indigenous-owned booksellers will be at the festival: Iron Dog Books and Massy Books. ![]()
Gail Johnson is cofounder of Stir. She is a Vancouver-based journalist who has earned local and national nominations and awards for her work. She is a certified Gladue Report writer via Indigenous Perspectives Society in partnership with Royal Roads University and is a member of a judging panel for top Vancouver restaurants.
Related Articles
Recipients were unveiled during a ceremony at Landmark Cinemas Guildford
Production by Denmark’s Uppercut Dance Theater features breathtaking physicality and inventive humour
Documentary by Eileen Francis and Evan Adams looks at the Tla’amin Nation’s efforts to change the contentious name of the city of Powell River
Contemplative new work by acclaimed filmmakers Jessica Johnson and Ryan Ermacora explores imperfect balance between an ancient, shifting ecosystem and a Cortes Island community of oyster farmers
In the National Film Board documentary making its local premiere at the DOXA Documentary Film Festival, Canadian director Kim Nguyen traces the repercussions of an execution photo through the decades
“Egg Yolk Custard Bun”, “Ramen Boys”, “It’s Not You”, and the feature Blood Lines contribute to a diverse and often playful program
A reed cutter tries to solve a murder in Academy Award submission for Best Foreign Language Film; plus documentaries and soccer as fest enters second installment
This year’s edition spans repertoires from the Middle Ages to early opera, bookended by landmark works by Monteverdi and Vivaldi
Performances will take place at Ocean Artworks and the Revue Stage as part of the 41st annual fest, which runs June 19 to July 5
Vancouver filmmaker Tristin Greyeyes takes a personal approach to documentary that explores her grandmother’s role in nêhiyawêwin revitalization
In Upintheair Theatre’s annual event at The Cultch, opera, standup, puppets, and more mix together in experimental stage works about everything from eco disaster to cats
U.K. legend Billy Bragg and Brazil’s Bia Ferreira share stages with Canadian names like Aysanabee and Empanadas Illegales at ʔəy̓alməxʷ Jericho Beach Park, July 17 to 19
As part of Capture Photography Festival, Dana Claxton, Althea Thauberger, and Stephen Waddell screen the films that shaped them
In its 20th edition, the annual Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates Japanese artistry and eclectic cuisine
From July 24 to 26, Fraser River Heritage Park hosts artists from B.C. and beyond
Running April 30 to May 10, 25th annual event features a South Korean spotlight, Fire of Love director Sara Dosa’s Iceland-set Time and Water, and world premieres Under the Red Roof, Illustrated Legacies: Graveyard of the Pacific, and more
Running June 19 to July 5, event also unveils Performance Works Series that includes Haleluya Hailu Plays Ethiopia and Stranger Friends Orchestra with Fredrik Ljungkvist
Performances span an ambitious ode to the animals of the Chinese zodiac to a spotlight on three new Vancouver ensembles
From Stephen Shore’s seminal road-trip photos at the Vancouver Art Gallery to hand-stitched imagery at The Polygon Gallery, exhibitions celebrate icons and break new ground
Pretty pink canopies characterize beloved events like Sakura Days Japan Fair, Blossoms After Dark, and the Big Picnic
Milestone season features expanded celebrations, new traditions, and citywide gatherings under pink canopies
