2024: 39th Annual Asian Celebration & Obon and Taiko Festival (Performances, Music, Martial Arts, Marketplace, Food Trucks, Crafts) Alton Baker ParkNEW

Join in the fun on as we celebrate the 39th annual festival in the Year of the Dragon! 

The Asian Celebration & Obon and Taiko Festival features a full day of performances, music, martial arts, a thriving marketplace, Asian-themed food trucks, youth activities, crafts, and heritage exhibits at the spacious riverfront Alton Baker Park.

If you would like to be a part of this incredible cultural event, please Get Involved and be one of the many volunteers that help make this event truly special in our community.

Together, let’s build community!

Event Date
July 27, 2024, Saturday

Time
10 am - 9 pm

What is the Oregon Asian Celebration
What started in 1986 as a gathering in Eugene, Oregon to celebrate the cultural heritage of our small Asian population has evolved over the years to become a major community festival that has showcased Asian and Asian American diversity through dance and music; the fine arts, folk crafts, heritage exhibits, martial arts, cuisine, youth activities, a bustling marketplace, and more.

Between 1986 to 2020, this colorful winter festival brought more than 15,000 people to the Lane Events Center at the fairgrounds for a full weekend of festivities suitable for all ages.

After 35 years as an indoor cultural festival, the COVID pandemic in 2021 moved event planners to re-imagine this long-standing event as an outdoor summer celebration by partnering with another Asian Council-initiated event, the Japanese Obon & Taiko Festival, established also in the mid-1980s as an evening dance festival held under colorful Japanese lanterns. The Obon & Taiko Festival has been organized by the Japanese American Association of Lane County for most of its history and is held annually to honor one’s ancestors and build a sense of community. The partnership of both festivals to become a festival-within-a-festival continues to be celebrated on the last Saturday in July at Alton Baker Park as a free community event where audience participation in the Obon dances is encouraged.

Today, the original mission of the founders of the Oregon Asian Celebration and the Obon & Taiko Festival remains true to this day, of sharing Asian and Asian American cultural heritage to enhance understanding of cultural diversity and to strengthen human connections in our community. Organizers especially aim to create opportunities for young people to get involved and learn to appreciate how differences can enrich one’s community.

Participation comes from hundreds of volunteers of all backgrounds, races, and ethnicities, along with support from public, private, and nonprofit organizations and businesses. The event is produced by the Asian American Council of Oregon and the Japanese American Association of Lane County. The festival is recognized as one of the area’s major events in Lane County, OR.

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(PREVIOUS YEAR)

2022 Annual Summer Festival Event!  The 37th annual event returns as an outdoor event in partnership with the Obon & Taiko Drumming Festival. Experience Asian cultural heritage and traditions through dance, music, foods, arts, crafts, exhibits, and more.

Celebrate the Year of the Tiger, which is also the Year of the Water Tiger according to the Chinese zodiac. It’s a year where we may see people finding hope amid challenges, and where good health, well-being, and positive social change are possible.

As twilight nears, the Obon & Taiko Festival begins its annual tradition of performing Obon dances that honor one’s ancestors and a sense of community. Some of the dances invite the public to join in the concentric circle dances. They are easy to learn and the audience participation further enhances a sense of community.

Event Date
July 27, 2024, Saturday

Time
10 am - 9 pm

Schedule

Performances
Enjoy Asian cultural dances, music that touches your heart and soul such as Japanese Taiko, Koto, and Indonesian Gamelan; native songs representing a diversity of Asian cultural heritages and more.

Asian Foods
Try tempting culinary treats from across Asian cultures at the popular Asian Food Court! Favorites such as Pad Thai, Yakisoba noodles, chara masala, bubble tea, and delicious fare such as bulgogi, kimbap, Korean corn dog, & toppoki are are available from a variety of vendors.

Martial Arts
See a diversity of martial arts practiced in one location! More than a dozen martial art schools perform at the festival to showcase the beauty and strength of their specific martial art form. Instructors and students demonstrate Taekwondo, Tai Chi, Karate, Aikido, Kung Fu and more.

Obon 
This year we are excited to partner again with the Obon and Taiko festival to create an exciting atmosphere celebrating Asian cultural heritage in the arts, music, dance, folk art, and more.

Event Title
2022 37th Annual Oregon Asian Celebration Festival Event - Alton Baker Park in Eugene