(Oceanside, March 17, 2025) Kickstarting regional celebrations of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, the Southern California Asian and Pacific Islander (SoCal API) festival will be returning to Oceanside on Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the
Oceanside Civic Center. This free community event celebrates more than 20 ANHPI cultures through traditional performances and contemporary acts curated by local artists.
In a statement, Tuyen Nguyen, 2025 Project Director and 2023 festival co-founder expressed, “Our team is thrilled to honor the legacy of community collaboration and collective service led by Umeke in 2023. We plan to bring back the festival with the same joy, vibrancy, and connection to create space for the community to showcase their talents, stories, and creativity.” Ilima Kam Martinez, Kumu of Kūhai Hālau O ʻIlima Pā ʻŌlapa Kahiko (KHOI), shared her excitement to return as a traditional hula performer at this year’s festival: “Returning to the
SoCal API Festival feels like coming home to a celebration with close friends. As a hālau rooted in Oceanside, we take pride in reflecting the diversity of our community through hula and embracing the cultures around us. This festival is a meaningful way for us to educate,
connect, and give back to the place we love.”
Daja Fesili, founder of Mindfull Movement, a space for wellness, storytelling, and artistic expression centered around NHPI and BIPOCcommunities, expressed similar excitement for the upcoming festival and its alignment with celebrating API heritage at home in Oceanside: “Being part of API Fest in Oceanside means a lot to me, coming from a multicultural background myself. For me, it’s about meeting people where they’re at, using all the parts of who I am to share tools of wellness that bring communities together through creativity. Oceanside is home because of the people, and having the access and freedom to create, connect, and celebrate on our own terms is something I never take for granted.”
SoCal API Festival is free to attend and welcome to all ages. Guests will enjoy a health and wellness area, martial arts arena, live mural painting, art exhibits, and hands-on cultural activities throughout the Civic Center Plaza and Pierview Way. Local artists, small business
owners, leaders, and community members will be placed throughout the festival, displaying their unique and deeply rooted commitment to celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (ANHPI) cultures. We invite you to join for a day of family friendly activities, community connection, and delicious food.
SoCal API Festival’s mission is to increase education for Asian and Pacific Islander culture. We endeavor to create better global citizens by engaging and educating members of the local community, and foster meaningful conversations about cultural similarities, differences, and
a mutual desire for respect and understanding.
