September 2026 Newsletter
8th Annual Asian Night Market Festival Weekend
GET READY FOR THE ASIAN NIGHT MARKET FESTIVAL!
The wait is almost over! The 8th Annual Asian Night Market Festival returns Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3, from 5–11 p.m. each night at Military Park and throughout Oklahoma City’s Asian District.
Our festival stretches from 23rd & Classen all the way to 27th Street, with four blocks of food, shopping, entertainment, cultural experiences, and family fun.
Take a look at our 2026 Festival Site Map and start planning your visit! With so much happening throughout the festival grounds, the map is your guide to finding your favorite experiences, performances, vendors, food, and activities.
And there’s plenty to experience FREE of charge, including:
🎨 Face painting
✏️ Live caricature sketches
🎤 Karaoke
🎮 Dance Dance Revolution
🪩 Silent Disco
🎬 Mobile Movie
🎢 Mindbender Ride
🎭 Cultural performances
💃 K-Pop Dance Competition
🦁 Lion Dance
And so much more!
Whether you're coming for the food, shopping, entertainment, cultural experiences, or simply to celebrate with our community, there will be something for everyone.
Save the map, bring your friends and family, and get ready for two unforgettable nights in the Asian District!
📅 October 2 & 3, 2026
⏰ 5–11 p.m. both nights
📍 Military Park & Asian District | 23rd–27th Street
Interested in volunteering for the festival? Click the button below to sign-up! Volunteers will receive a festival t-shirt for their service.
AFTERPARTY WITH DJ KIM LEE FROM BLING EMPIRE!
This year, the celebration doesn’t stop when the night market wraps! We’re thrilled to announce our official partnership with All-Access Pass to extend Asian Night Market to bring even more ways to experience Asian culture, connect with community, and support local Asian-owned businesses all weekend long:
THE OFFICIAL AFTERPARTY FEATURING KIM LEE Keep the energy going late into the night! Catch Bling Empire's Kim Lee live at Yours Truly on Saturday 3. Tickets are limited—grab yours now before they sell out!
LATE-NIGHT VENUE TAKEOVERS Specialty drinks, late-night gourmet bites, and live DJ showcases continuing the party across town at La Brasa and Ponyboy.
SUNDAY RECOVERY AT EGG & CÀPHÊ Wrap up the ultimate weekend with us! Enjoy Vietnamese matchas, iced coffees, delicious food, and chill house sets to close out the festivities.
From street food to late-night nightlife, let’s celebrate culture, build community, and support local all weekend long!
We Have Arrived:
Help Us Restore the Boat
On the night of September 3, the We Have Arrived boat was damaged by fire.
Our community is deeply saddened by the loss of this important piece of public art and history. For years, the boat has stood in the Asian District as more than a monument—it has been an immersive experience that invites people to learn about the Vietnamese refugees who made the perilous journey by sea to the United States, as well as to remember the countless people who never made it.
The boat tells a story of courage, loss, resilience, and hope.
For many in our community, that story is personal. For others, the boat has provided an opportunity to learn about a chapter of Asian American history that may not otherwise be encountered. Its presence has helped create a space where we can remember those who came before us and honor the sacrifices that made new beginnings possible.
Now, we need our community's help to restore it.
The Asian District Cultural Association is raising funds to repair and restore the We Have Arrived boat so that its story can continue to be shared with future generations.
Every contribution, large or small, helps us move closer to bringing this important monument back to life.
Introducing the 2026-2027 Asian District Youth Board!
The next generation of Asian American leaders has officially arrived!
On September 27th, the Asian District Youth Board (ADYB) welcomed its newest cohort during Orientation, kicking off another year of youth-led leadership, service, cultural connection, and community engagement.
This year's applicant pool was the largest in ADYB history, making the selection process especially competitive. We are excited to welcome students representing 17 different schools and a diverse range of Asian nationalities and backgrounds from across the Oklahoma City metro.
Leading this year's board as Co-Presidents are Lacey Do of Piedmont High School and Jeremiah Yim of Classen SAS High School at Northeast.
Please join us in welcoming the 2026–2027 Asian District Youth Board:
Shoghi Adu — Deer Creek High School
Laila Chao — Piedmont High School
Jiya Chopra — Deer Creek High School
Bryan Ding — Edmond North High School
Lacey Do — Piedmont High School
Hanson Duong — Piedmont High School
Lea Lan — Carl Albert High School
Nathan Lee — Casady School
Maggie Ling — Norman High School
Lauren Luong — Crossings Christian School
Sophia Luong — Casady School
Noah Ly — Casady School
Andy Mai — Mustang High School
Abi Mathai — Yukon High School
Andrew McGuire — Edmond Santa Fe High School
Catherine Nguyen — Putnam City North High School
Lily Nguyen — Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School
Andrew Pan — Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics
Abel Phillip — Classen SAS High School at Northeast
Sabrina Phung — Westmoore High School
Marley Reyna — Deer Creek High School
Akshara Sakthivel — Norman North High School
Justin Tran — Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School
Thu Tran — Edmond Santa Fe High School
Sreekar Vajjha — Classen SAS High School at Northeast
Jeremiah Yim — Classen SAS High School at Northeast
Over the coming year, these students will work together to strengthen their leadership skills, celebrate Asian cultures and identities, build connections across communities, and help shape the future of the Asian District.
We can't wait to see what this year's board accomplishes!
Welcome to ADYB, Class of 2026–2027! 🎉
Our Journeys: A Traveling Exhibition Opens at Oklahoma History Center
On September 12, 2026 the Our Journeys: A Traveling Exhibition had its ribbon-cutting reception at the Oklahoma History Center.
The exhibit was brought over from New Jersey-based nonprofit Vietnamese Boat People in partnership with the museum and the Vietnamese American Heritage Community of Oklahoma and will be on display until January 4, 2027.
The exhibition centers the voices of Vietnamese Americans through oral histories, photographs, and interactive elements that explore migration, memory, and resilience across generations.
We hope you will make a visit to the Oklahoma History Center Museum to experience this exhibit!
Cheers to a great year ahead,
Asian District Cultural Association
