Oakland Chinatown Streetfest August 26, 2006

The 19th Annual
Oakland Chinatown Streetfest
August 26th & 27th, 2006
10:00AM to 6:00PM

On August 26th & 27th, the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce (OCCC) will be presenting its 19th Annual Chinatown StreetFest. In celebrating the Year of the Dog, the Chinatown StreetFest attracts thousands of people from all over the Bay Area to come savor the taste of Asia, and to experience the traditions that Oakland's Chinatown has so diligently preserved.

The two-day event runs from 10AM to 6PM and is free to the public. The festival spans nine to ten blocks of Chinatown, consisting of more than 280 booths. Small businesses and community organizations from all over California will come to showcase a myriad of delicious foods, unique Asian products, and special services. There will be arts & crafts, entertainment on four stages, and a Cultural Village presented by the Oakland Museum of California.

Established in 1988 by the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, the StreetFest was created to encourage a sense of community in a place where diversity in people and businesses thrive. Browsing the 9-10 city blocks one will find a little bit of almost everything the Bay Area has to offer. Of course there will be a big slice of Chinatown, offering everything from jade bracelets to BBQ lamb, and hand crafted ceramics.

No cultural event is complete without food. At the food court, one can find everything from Thai barbeque to kettle corn to exotic fruit drinks. The What's Cooking stage features cooking demonstrations, cooking contests, ice carving and information about preparing healthy meals.

The Youth Stage features entertainment and performances geared entirely towards young people. There are also many other attractions and activities throughout the festival for children to enjoy. Every year the Oakland Museum presents the StreetFest Cultural Village, where you can find hands on activities for kids such as calligraphy, origami, and face painting.

The highlight of the festival remains its entertainment, and there is no shortage of it at the Oakland StreetFest. Aside from the Cooking Stage and the Kids Stage, the Popular Stage features rock, jazz and R&B performances from some of the Bay Area's finest bands. The cultural stage features a variety of diverse Asian ethnic acts, such as Chinese lion dances, Japanese taiko drumming, martial arts demonstration, Tahitian dances and much more. Whatever the performance, StreetFest explorers are either kept dancing or in awe.

By continually bringing together such a significant part of the Asian business and non-profit sector of the greater Bay Area, the annual StreetFest will preserve a sense of community in a culture that is constantly changing. Keeping with the original design of the StreetFest, we hope to continue promoting the different and unique cultures that make up the backbone of Chinatown, Oakland, and the Bay Area.

Official Website: http://www.oaklandchinatownstreetfest.com/