By Eryk Michael Smith/KHT Staff
KAOHSIUNG — Southern Taiwan’s international community will mark both Canada Day and U.S. Independence Day with a joint celebration in Kaohsiung on Saturday, July 4, at Pier Garden, on the waterfront beside the Cijin ferry terminal. This will be the third consecutive year for the joint event.
Running from 4 to 10 p.m., this double celebration of Canada’s 159th and the United States’ 250th birthdays will see people from dozens of nationalities enjoy an evening of food, fun, and various adult beverages, of course.
The event follows Canada Day festivities held in Taipei last weekend, which, somewhat surprisingly, is the largest Canada Day celebration outside Canada, attracting anywhere from 5,000 to more than 10,000 people each year.
“There are roughly 60,000 Canadians in Taiwan,” Sean Kelly told Kaohsiung Times. “We are passionate about sharing our food, drinks, and culture with people in our adopted home. Seeing so many people from all over the world talking, eating, smiling, and dancing, even when it rains, makes it worth the months of work it takes to put on an event like this.”
Speaking to reporters last week, Marie-Louise Hannan, executive director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT), noted that 2026 marks both Canada’s 159th birthday and the office’s 40th anniversary in Taiwan. She said the festival gives Taiwanese a chance to experience Canada’s diversity while celebrating four decades of ties between Canada and Taiwan.
This year, despite less-than-attractive weather, crowds poured into Taipei’s Hakka Culture Park throughout the day. As the clock wound down toward the 9 p.m. finish, there were still enough people to make a crowd, many covered in layers of mud, cheering on the ferociously joyful musicians on stage.
There has also been growing cooperation between expat groups in northern and southern Taiwan. Te’Qin Windham, chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (CanCham), told KHT she was looking forward to this weekend’s event and was pleased to work with the American Chamber of Commerce in Kaohsiung to help bring Canada Day activities to southern Taiwan.
Alexandra Golubkova, Chair of CanCham’s Event Committee, told the Kaohsiung Times that she is a regular visitor to Kaohsiung and was excited to see Canada Day celebrations continue to grow in southern Taiwan.
“Doing this on a bigger scale in Kaohsiung is important to me,” she said. “After all, we are CanCham TAIWAN, not CanCham TAIPEI.”
Windham said she has no issue celebrating Canada Day and Independence Day together, agreeing that the politics of half a world away should not cause divisions between Americans and Canadians here in Taiwan.
Joining the Saturday event as vendors at Pier Garden will be the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan with classic Canadian drinks, along with Kaohsiung’s Legends, Diamond Bar, and Reggie’s FUNraising booth.
The manager of Diamond Bar, James, told KHT he thinks Americans are known for their friendly spirit and was excited to join Canadians for the double birthday bash.
“Our mission has always been to provide a fun, welcoming space where people from all corners of the globe can connect,” James said. “Cheers to more fun, more friends, and more drinks!”
Speaking of drinks, Pier Garden is roughly a 10-minute walk from Hamasen Station, and party-goers are strongly encouraged to use public transportation.
