Vancouver Chinatown festival returns a year after stabbing attack

The “Light Up Chinatown!” festival is returning to Vancouver this weekend, Aug. 24, a year after a man allegedly stabbed a married couple in their 60s and a woman in her 20s, all of whom were seriously injured, at the 2023 event.

Alleged perpetrator Blair Evan Donnelly, who remains in custody, faces multiple charges and has a trial scheduled for May 2025. With the upcoming event, organizers are determined to bring people back to Chinatown after the traumatic incident. “You can’t let these things stop you,” said Vancouver Chinatown Foundation Chair Carol Lee. “I think that is a hallmark of Chinatown really, it’s about resilience and perseverance.”