Celebrate Little Saigon with a Carnival, Culture and Pho Eating Contest in Seattle August 24

On August 24, hundreds of festival goers will take to the streets of Little Saigon in the Chinatown-International District for the 4th Annual Celebrate Little Saigon event. Local restaurants and retail shops in Little Saigon (1200 South Jackson Street) will bring their businesses outside their doors so attendees can stroll through the neighborhood and soak in Vietnamese culture without leaving Seattle. The event, which runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. is free to the public for all ages.

This year’s event will showcase a Vietnamese carnival themed event with family friendly activities and performances from traditional Vietnamese music to breakdancing by the Massive Monkee’s and more. Foodies will take their taste buds on a trip around Little Saigon and can try everything from Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, spring rolls and more as local restaurants such as Tamarind Tree and other businesses bring their specialty menu items outside of their storefronts. Tamarind Tree will also perform a cooking demonstration of Vietnamese specialties. For the extreme eaters, a Pho noodle eating contest will take place at 2:30 p.m. at the Main Stage.

“We’re so excited to be partnering with Tet in Seattle to bring a bigger and better Celebrate Little Saigon event,” states Theresa Reyna, Vice President of Friends of Little Saigon and Chief Language Officer for Interpret This, Inc. “The neighborhood is growing and this is a great way for people both young and old, local or not to experience Vietnamese culture and try all the delicious foods Little Saigon has to offer without leaving the country!”

Local non-profits, Friends of Little Saigon (FLS) and Tet in Seattle (TIS) are partnering for the first time to organize Celebrate Little Saigon as a way for the local Vietnamese and Seattle-area community to connect in a fun, community building way that celebrates Vietnamese culture and heritage. Event organizers include students from University of Washington and Seattle University, local business owners, and others interested in supporting Little Saigon as a vibrant business district and a “cultural home base” for the region’s Vietnamese community since Vietnamese-owned businesses started putting down roots in the neighborhood more than 40 years ago.

What: 4th Annual Celebrate Little Saigon
When: Sunday, August 24, 2014
Time: 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Where: 1200 South Jackson Street

About Friends of Little Saigon

A nonprofit community organization consisting of Little Saigon business owners and community stakeholder, Friends of Little Saigon aims to preserve and enhance Little Saigon’s cultural, economic and historic vitality. www.friendsoflittlesaigon.org

Written by Charles Koh

Founded EatSeattle, and has continued to use his expertise as editor-in-chief to guide the website’s growth over the last five years. Koh’s experience focuses on digital marketing and social media, and has been a part of several companies, some of which he created, specializing in both areas over the course of his career. Koh was previously with Google and Zagat where he helped expand and grow communities worldwide.

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