On Saturday, Aug. 28 and 29, the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce will present its 23rd Annual Chinatown StreetFest, spanning multiple neighborhood blocks - from Franklin Street between Seventh and 11th streets, and Eighth and Ninth streets from Broadway to Harrison Street in Oakland.

At the StreetFest - which runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. both days - participants can experience ethnic food, cultural activities by the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, arts and crafts and family fun as they join thousands of other Bay Area residents and visitors celebrating Oakland’s Chinatown’s rich, well-preserved traditions.

The free admission festival also will feature a kids’ carnival and continuous live entertainment on two stages - to include tributes to Donna Summer, Michael Jackson, James Brown and Tina Turner - and a performance by Great Wall Youth Orchestra, composed of skilled musicians from elementary to high school age students, playing Chinese instruments. 

“Many of the students are recent immigrants or first-generation Americans, and the orchestra offers a special connection between their origins and heritage and their life in the United States,” reports the Oakland-based nonprofit Purple Silk Music Foundation.

Small businesses and community organizations will showcase unique Asian products, delicious foods and services at the annual festival. For more information, visit oaklandchinatownstreetfest.com.