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DESCRIPTION:<strong>Sharing culture and food at the Okinawa Bazaar</strong>
 \n<strong> </strong>\n<strong></strong>The Okinawa Association of America 
 (OAA) will host their Annual Okinawa Bazaar on October 7 (Sunday)\, 11 AM 
 - 4 PM\, at the OAA Center in Gardena. This event is the organization&rsqu
 o\;s largest annual fundraiser and is currently the only Okinawa-focused f
 estival in Southern California.\n\nWhat started out as a small gathering o
 f members has grown into an intergenerational cultural event that brings t
 ogether hundreds of families for an afternoon of tasty food\, soulful ente
 rtainment\, fun games\, raffle drawings (win Disneyland tickets!)\, and mo
 re.\n\n<strong>Food Booths</strong>\n<strong> </strong>\n<strong></strong>
 The food booths will feature a number of maasan (delicious) Okinawan foods
  such as saataa andaagii (&ldquo\;Okinawan dango&rdquo\;)\, Uchinaa suba (
 Okinawa soba)\, ashitibichi (pig&rsquo\;s feet)\, rafutee (Okinawa-style s
 low-cooked pork belly)\, ice cream made with beni-imo (Okinawan purple pot
 ato)\, and taco rice (a popular fusion dish in Okinawa). There will also b
 e local festival staples like teriyaki bento\, spam musubi\, and shaved ic
 e.\n\n<strong>Live Performances</strong>\n<strong> </strong>\n<strong></st
 rong>The all-day entertainment program will showcase the traditional and c
 ontemporary performing arts of Okinawa (music\, dance\, and taiko)\, karat
 e demonstrations\, Hawai&lsquo\;ian dance\, and more. This year&rsquo\;s s
 pecial guests include the cast members of &ldquo\;Letters to Eve\,&rdquo\;
  an independently-produced musical that follows Japanese American families
  during World War II\, and the energetic eisaa drumming students from El M
 arino Language School.\n\n<strong>Raffles and Shopping</strong>\n<strong> 
 </strong>\n<strong></strong>For those who want to start their holiday kooi
 mun (shopping) early\, raffle tickets are available for $1 each with an ex
 tremely coveted grand prize: four Disneyland tickets ($400+ value\; genero
 usly donated by the Walt Disney Company)! Merchandise booths will have sou
 venirs from Okinawa (limited supply)\, original Okinawa-themed merchandise
  (tote bags\, t-shirts\, and postcards)\, and fresh plants and produce. Lo
 cal dance group Majikina Honryu Aigen no Kai will also sell handmade craft
 s and white elephant items.\n\n<strong>Children&rsquo\;s Games</strong>\n<
 strong> </strong>\n<strong></strong>This event is a great opportunity to e
 xpose the younger generations to Okinawan culture while also enjoying a fu
 n family outing. The warabi (children) tent will have a variety of carniva
 l games like bean bag tic-tac-toe\, ping pong ball toss\, water balloon fi
 shing\, and a disk drop game. Prizes are given to all participants (while 
 supplies last). There will also be a photo booth with an Okinawa-themed di
 gital background.\n\n<strong>Legacy</strong>\n<strong> </strong>\n<strong>
 </strong>The Annual Okinawan Bazaar is organized by the Okinawa Associatio
 n of America (OAA)\, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed by Okinawa
 n immigrants over 100 years ago. The organization has been kept alive by m
 ultiple generations of driven volunteers and generous donors. 2019 will ma
 rk the organization&rsquo\;s 110th anniversary as well as the OAA Center&r
 squo\;s 20th anniversary.\n\n&ldquo\;We are blessed for the foresight of o
 ur elders had in creating a central gathering place for our organization a
 nd the surrounding community\,&rdquo\; said Yuko Yamauchi\, OAA&rsquo\;s E
 xecutive Director.\n\nThe goal of this year&rsquo\;s fundraiser is to rais
 e money for much needed repairs and renovations for the OAA Center&rsquo\;
 s facilities. While the OAA has only been at the current location for 20 y
 ears\, the structures themselves are close to 100 years old.\n\n&ldquo\;By
  coming out to the Bazaar\, people will not only experience the flavor and
  vibrant culture of Okinawa\,&rdquo\; Yamauchi continued\, &ldquo\;but the
 y'll also be contributing to make sure the OAA Center is a safe and comfor
 table place to gather and host events.&rdquo\;\n\nThe OAA Center is locate
 d at 16500 S. Western Ave.\, Gardena 90247. Please use streetside parking.
  Early arrival recommended\; popular food/merchandise items sell out quick
 ly. Booths will only accept scrips (available to purchase at the event\; c
 urrent OAA members can pre-order at a discounted rate). More information a
 nd schedule: 310-532-1929 (weekdays\, 10 AM - 4 PM)\, oaamensore@gmail.com
 \, <a href="http://www.oaamensore.org" target="_blank">www.oaamensore.org<
 /a>\n<strong>\nVolunteers</strong>\n<strong> </strong>\n<strong></strong>V
 olunteers will be needed on October 6 (Saturday)\, 7 (Sunday)\, and 8 (Mon
 day). Service hours are available for students. Those who are interested i
 n helping with set-up\, booth operation\, and/or clean-up can contact the 
 OAA or fill out a Google form: <a href="http://bit.ly/bazaarvolunteer2018"
  target="_blank">bit.ly/bazaarvolunteer2018</a>\n<strong>\nSponsorship</st
 rong>\n<strong> </strong>\n<strong></strong>The 2018 OAA Bazaar would not 
 be possible without support from generous sponsors. Individuals and compan
 ies interested in becoming a sponsor should contact the OAA as soon as pos
 sible for sponsorship tiers and benefits.
DTSTAMP:20240416T102301Z
SUMMARY:Annual Okinawa Bazaar 2018 – Cultural Performances and Food\, Gam
 es\, Raffles
URL:/en/events/2018/10/07/annual-okinawa-bazaar-2018-cultural-performances/
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