Lisa Wang

The $10 admission fee is absolutely outrageous for what’s in the festival. You’re still paying full price if not more on all the food inside, so why pay the extra entrance fee when you can simply go out and buy the food yourself? If i were to go to a bubble tea shop, that money could have already bought me a drink, and let’s be honest, how much bubble tea could you even drink in the time you’re at the festival? The ticket system is also very disorganized, having no signage stating the price or even where to buy the ticket in person. After being approached by the one of the people at the front of the festival, they directed me though the doors that said “express line” which most people would assume is strictly for those with prepaid tickets, but the ticket booth was inside with only a tiny sign showing that it was in fact the ticket booth. Once inside I was disappointed by the size of the event. For $10 I was expecting so much more, especially when the ticket is more expensive than the Richmond night market. There was a limited array of food, activities, and even the bubble tea that the festival got its name from. The only thing not lacking was the amount of political party campaigns. Why were there even political parties at a festival for bubble tea? The amount of activities and food in the festival can easily be explored in an hour or less, leaving only the performances to keep you entertained. Though, I actually enjoyed the performances, leaving it as one of the only saving factors of this festival. Overall, this event for me was very unfulfilling with its unreasonable prices and lack of sustenance. It felt unorganized and too quickly put together for a yearly attraction here in the lower mainlands. It might be fun with a large group of people and a full wallet to spend, but otherwise I’d avoid it.