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The 40th Oregon Asian Celebration, the free marquee event of the Asian American Council of Oregon, takes place this Saturday, July 19, in Eugene.
This year’s celebration is to honor the Year of the Snake, which event director David Tam said in a press release is “a time for transformation and renewal.”
“This year’s festival honors 40 years of sharing Asian and Asian American cultural traditions in a festive setting, just as our founders envisioned in the early 1980s,” Tam said in the release. “We hope that everyone who has attended our festival over the years leaves with a deeper appreciation for the richness of cultural diversity, helping to break down barriers and build a stronger, more connected community.”
The celebration started in 1986 for what the event’s website calls “our small Asian population” at the time. Demographic data from 2023 estimates the Asian population in the Eugene-Springfield metro area at 10,894 people (not including people who identify with multiple races).
This year’s festivities run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m in Alton Baker Park. Lane Transit District is offering a free ride to the festival site via a free festival bus ride code, to be redeemed via the mobile app Umo. One code can be used multiple times to pay for multiple people going to the event together.
The day’s programming includes youth activities like carnival games and crafts like origami and dragon boats to race. Kids can also pick up a Year of the Snake passport to redeem for a prize after collecting stamps from 12 different booth locations at the celebration.
Performances from a range of cultural heritages, like Hawaiian hula from Eugene’s hula school Halau Hula O Nā Pua O Hawai’i Nei and Eugene’s dancing lion puppet group Phi Long Lion Dance, will take place. A full schedule is available online.
Attendees can get their stage time, too: A karaoke contest will take place at 7 p.m., with the winner taking home a $100 prize. On-site signup begins at 10 a.m.
Martial arts demonstrations beginning at 11 a.m. will showcase taekwondo, aikido, tai chi, karate and more, including a visit from Portland Sumo to show off the Japanese full-contact wrestling.
More than 70 vendors will be selling handcrafted items and other goods at the celebration’s marketplace. Food such as dim sum, teriyaki chicken, yakisoba, sushi burritos, bubble tea, shaved ice and other delicacies will be available for purchase from food vendors and trucks at the park.
The festival’s history will be the focus at a heritage exhibit booth, which will feature previous years’ posters and information on the festival’s beginnings.
