Founding Members
- Tuyen Than
- Ryan Catabay
- Jintana Lityouvong
- Sonny Nguyen
2024 Planning Team
- Tuyen Than
- Ryan Catabay
- Jintana Lityouvong
- Jenny Lam
- Miko Russell
- Cory Castagno
- Tran Than
- Blake Nakatsu
- Mandy Shishido
- Andrew Koh
CID Block Party is a grassroots, non-profit festival, run by local and voluntary forces. The festival is a one-day music and art event, which is held every year in August. At the Chinatown-International District Block Party, musicians, artists and locals are invited to help create life under the i-5 freeway.
Since 2016, the festival has transformed the barren, paved landscape under the i-5 freeway into a cultural hub on the border between 8th Ave S and 10th Ave S on S King St. The festival adds color to the gray concrete with music from the underground, quirky activities, art installations and much more to nuance and transform the urban space. CID Block Party is organized and run by young, passionate volunteers, in collaboration with the SCIDpda and InterImCDA, each of whom is passionate about creating change through innovative cultural initiatives.
The purpose of the festival is to bring people closer together and give the area under the i-5 a new meaning. In addition, the purpose of the festival is to be a springboard for upcoming artists as well as new entrepreneurs. We want to engage and activate locals to participate in the development of the festival, but also in the development of the urban space.
Festival History
In 2016, 6 friends joined forces to create the first Chinatown-ID Block Party. The wish was to transform the abandoned car park under the arch into a place where people will meet for music and activities. It turned into a small stage, 6 artists, mini market and 400 attendees. Over time, the CID Block Party has grown bigger, year by year. In 2019, CID Block Party welcomed 4,000 guests for one day with various artists and a program packed with activities.
Pillars of Community Building
History
We believe that knowing our past is integral to building our futures and that learning from and about our histories will raise a generation of well-informed, well-equipped leaders in our communities.
Arts & Culture
We believe that expression is vital to the health of a community and that supporting young artists in their crafts builds a more vibrant and engaging future.
Small Business
We believe that local economies are necessary infrastructures for our communities and that supporting local Asian American Pacific Islander owned businesses leads to stronger neighborhoods and more compassionate neighbors.
Community is Power
We believe that we have the power to shift policy and societal attitudes towards progressive change and that we have a responsibility to mobilize for more equitable communities.