16th Annual Salinas Asian Cultural Fair
Spring 2025
16TH ANNUAL ASIAN CULTURAL FAIR AND SPRING UPDATE
Dear ACES Members and Friends:
First, a big thanks to everyone who attended our Lunar Celebration and Membership Appreciation Event at the Confucius Church! We had some great discussion and feedback, as well as ping pong!
ACES members also enjoyed sharing the history of Salinas Chinatown and culture to about 200 students from the Salinas City Elementary School District. Thank you to THE SCESD Extended Learning Team for this wonderful acknowledgment:
Chinatown Revitalization Update:
After several personnel changes in the Community Development we are in communication with the Community Development Manager and the Project Manager for the Republic Cafe. The City of Salinas’s Purchase of the Republic Cafe has been completed and funding for bringing the building up to code is in place. ACES is slated to renovate the interior, and will be raising funds for that project.
The Chinatown Revitalization Plan has a new Manager for Advanced Planning and Implementation. Efforts will be coordinated between the two divisions for the Republic Cafe. The City also purchased 34-38 Soledad St. (Pool Hall/Chin residence) and has a grant to design the project for mixed-use apartments. There will soon be opportunities for community feedback on the initial design renderings for the development.
2025 ASIAN CULTURAL FAIR (ACF)
We have been busy during the past few months gearing up for the Salinas Asian Cultural Fair! We are still accepting registrations for food vendors (located in the Filipino Community Center parking lot) and arts and crafts and non-profit booths and tables (which will be located on California St. near the Confucius Church). If you are interested, please sign up on our website. For questions about pop-up tables or being a vendor, contact Athena Ereno at acesalinas2014@gmail.com or Cathy Chavez-Miller at meankitty132@gmail.com.
If you would like to volunteer at the ACF, please contact Athena Ereno at acesalinas2014@gmail.com.
ACF opening ceremonies and performance by the Monterey Bay Lion Dance Team will take place at 11 a.m. at the Filipino Community Center. Our music and entertainment stage will be on California St., and the Chinatown Car Show will be on Lake St. near Tom O. Wong Way. Entry donation for the Car Show is $15. Contact Henry T. Gong for information: 831-320-2963.
The three founding organizations of ACES and our partner Urban Arts Collaborative will be open to the public:
Filipino Community of Salinas Valley, 250 Calle Cebu: Filipino food will be offered for at the Filipino Community Center of Salinas Valley; there will also be dance and music performances and lectures.
Chinese American Citizens’ Alliance (Confucius Church, 1 California St.): Come by for our Annual Produce Sale, and stay for the potsticker and rice plates!
The Buddhist Temple of Salinas, 14 California St.: Our popular Asian Artifact Sale will be taking place at the temple. Check out the ramen (and rice balls) sale benefiting the Salinas Kendo Club:
ACES Office & Gallery, corner of Soledad & Lake Sts. Visit our exhibit, “Filipinos Building Community in Salinas Chinatown.” Come by the ACES office & gallery and chat with us about the exhibit and our archives. Help us identify people in some of the photos! We’ll also be offering stickers, copies of Our Salinas Chinatown, tee shirts, and tickets for 3 gift baskets and a grand prize drawing including Dinner and Wine for Two at the “The Flying Artichoke” restaurant at Salinas Airport, courtesy of owner Jonathan Saguil. One ticket: $5, five tickets: $20. Cash only.
From our exhibit: N.R.A. (National Recovery Act) Cafe, on Soledad Street, 1940s. Ben Ponce, the Filipino cook, is standing to the left of the clock. Urban Arts Collaborative (UAC) gallery will present "Land Muse," a collaborative mixed-media visual arts exhibition. Artworks will include paintings, murals, drawings, and photographs from Hartnell College and students from King City, Soledad, and Salinas Valley. Land Muse will be open from April 20th to May 17th, 2025 Wed. & Thurs. 4pm - 7pm Contact JC at: Jc@urbanartsco.org
But that’s not all! UAC will also present a community arts project to paint the cement plinth and low wall in front of ACES!
ASIAN CULTURAL FAIR LOCATIONS:
GET INVOLVED!
ACES continues to work with local organizations and students, presenting opportunities for historical pop-ups, exhibits, and tours. Revitalization of Chinatown and creation of a community based cultural center and museum in the Republic Cafe remains our top priority.
If you are a member of ACES, don’t forget to renew your membership every year. If you are not yet a member, please join!
Questions? Contact us by email at acesalinas2014@gmail.com. Your input is greatly appreciated!
