NEWS RELEASE
July 16, 2024
Contact: David Tam, Asian Celebration Event Director
Davidyuentam@gmail.com
(541) 554-9350
www.AsianCelebration.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
39th Annual Oregon Asian Celebration
Returns July 27th to Alton Baker Park
10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Free Admission
Eugene, OR — The Oregon Asian Celebration celebrates the Year of the Dragon at its annual festival on Saturday, July 27th at Alton Baker Park.
The festival enters its 39th year and serves up a banquet of Asian cultural heritage in music, dance, martial arts, folk crafts, youth activities, exhibits, Asian foods, a bustling marketplace, and special activities. The event hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and admission is free.
“As the only mythical creature of the 12 animals represented by the Chinese zodiac, the dragon represents leadership and courage. The dragon year means it will be a year of innovation and opportunity,” says event director David Tam.
“In honor of the Year of the Dragon, festival organizers have planned several new opportunities for fun and learning,” Tam said. “For youth and families, we invite families, especially youth, to create a miniature dragon boat to race at the festival.
People can visit the event website AsianCelebration.org to find instructions and creative ideas for making a self-propelled dragon boat to bring to the event and enter a race. “For anyone without a dragon boat, we will have supplies at the festival to create one. Race times will be posted on the website,” Tam said.
Besides learning how to make your own Dragon boat, the event features other fun learning activities such as “Passport to Fun” where kids can pick up a Northwest Community Credit Union Year of the Dragon passport and travel around the festival to get their passport stamped at 12 different locations while learning about the festival. Completed passports can be redeemed at the passport pick-up booth for a prize.
Anyone seeking an activity to improve their physical and emotional well-being will enjoy “Get Up and Tai Chi with Master David Leung,” a 20-minute fun and participatory session.
And because Taiko drumming resonates with everyone, festival attendees can enjoy a mini session called “Pound it out with Taiko” featuring youth and adult taiko drummers providing a hands-on lesson. The Phi Long Chinese Lion Dance Troupe members invite festival visitors to try out Chinese Lion Dancing. It’s a great workout and lots of fun! All mini sessions take place at the Martial Arts Stage located near the pond at the north end of the festival site.
If weather temperatures get into the high 80s and 90s, event organizers encourage people to stay hydrated and wear protective coverings. “The summer heat is one of our biggest concerns,” Tam said. The event will have a giant mist generator provided by the Springfield Utility Board and a watering station provided by the City of Eugene so people can refill their water bottles. “We strongly encourage festival goers to do what is necessary to stay cool such as bringing along a water bottle, an umbrella for extra shade, wearing a cooling neck bandana, bringing a fan, or purchasing a $1 Asian paper fan or a $3 handheld battery-operated mini fan at the Asian Council information booth,” Tam said.
A full day of performances is scheduled for two stages. The Main Stage features diverse performances such as Korean, Balinese, Indonesian, South Indian, and Filipino cultural dances, music such as gamelan, koto, and taiko drumming, and much more beginning at 11:00 a.m. The performances conclude at dark with an exciting fire dance at 8:20 p.m. The festival closes at 9:00 p.m.
The Martial Arts stage at the north end of the festival site near the pond features a range of martial arts demonstrations and performances such as Kenpo, Qigong, aikido and taekwondo, tai chi, and karate for all ages.
On the expansive lawn between the two stages are a variety of youth activities, exhibits, and more than 70 marketplace vendors. Food trucks and vendors are serving tempting Asian fare and street food including delicacies such as dim sum, teriyaki chicken, yakisoba noodles, Chinese pancakes, sushi burritos, bubble tea, and shaved ice, as well as cuisine from India and Indonesia.
Interactive and hands-on youth activities are planned from 10:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Yujin Gakuen carnival games, origami paper folding, making furry cat ears with Kumoricon, and much more.
The Haiku and Tanka exhibit, organized by Skipping Stones Magazine, presents haiku and tanka poetry and art from youth as far away as Japan, the East Coast, and other parts of the country, including Oregon and California.
This year’s Heritage Exhibit showcases photographs and narratives of Hawaiians and Tahitians employed by the Hudson’s Bay Company at Fort Umpqua in 1832. They were tasked with establishing relations with the local Native tribes. Discover what happened and learn more. Also, discover the shocking history of the Ping Yang School bombings that happened very close to Eugene between 1895-1901. Was anyone ever arrested? Historian Steve Williamson will tell the story.
Festival goers are encouraged to ride LTD or ride their bikes and bring a lock. Cascadia Mobility is providing more than 100 bike rack spaces at the festival site. Lane Transit District is offering a free bus ride to Alton Baker Park with a festival bus code using the UMO app. Visit AsianCelebration.org for details.
The Oregon Asian Celebration is produced by the Asian American Council of Oregon with support from the City of Eugene, Northwest Community Credit Union, University of Oregon, Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, Springfield Utility Board, Lane County, Trillium Community Health Plan, KVAL-TV, and KLCC.FM.
