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Long Beach’s 18th annual Cambodian Town Parade, Culture Festival returns this weekend

April 2, 2026

The Cambodian Town Parade and Culture Festival returns to Long Beach this weekend.

In its 18th iteration, the parade and festival will once again celebrate Khmer cultural traditions through food, music, dance and more, organizers said. The celebration will take place on Saturday, April 4, starting on the streets of Cambodia Town and ending at Long Beach City College’s Trades, Technology and Community Learning Campus in Central Long Beach.

Thousands will gather in Long Beach, as one of the city’s most anticipated annual events, to celebrate along the parade route and at the festival that will feature an abundance of food, performances, activities and more, organizers said.

“We’re so excited; it has taken a lot of effort and time,” said Richer San, co-chair of Cambodian Town, which organizes the event each year, “but we do this for our communities, because the community anticipates this event.”

The festivities will commence at 9 a.m. with a traditional interfaith blessing near Anaheim Street and Cherry Avenue. Following the blessing, the parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Anaheim Street and Orange Avenue, traveling west for about a mile through the heart of Cambodia Town, which is centered around a roughly one-mile stretch of Anaheim Street between Atlantic and Junipero avenues. The parade will showcase traditional Khmer dance, music, costumes, and community floats, according to a press release.

The 17th annual Cambodia Town Parade and Culture Festival in Long Beach on Sunday, April 6, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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The 17th annual Cambodia Town Parade and Culture Festival in Long Beach on Sunday, April 6, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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The culture festival at LBCC’s campus will feature local Khmer artisans showcasing their crafts, along with games and attractions for children. Running from noon to 9 p.m., there will be plenty of delicious food available from festival booths, San said, and attendees are also encouraged to explore nearby restaurants for authentic Cambodian cuisine.

Long Beach has become a second home for many in the Cambodian community. In the early 1980s, hundreds of thousands of Cambodian refugees flocked to the U.S. seeking safety from the brutality of the communist Khmer Rouge. The resulting Cambodian genocide killed nearly 2 million people.

Many settled in Long Beach, which is now home to the largest population of Cambodians outside of the country itself.

In efforts to keep Cambodian culture and heritage alive in America – as well as celebrate the country’s new year – the Cambodian Town Parade and Culture Festival was established in 2005, according to the event’s website. Now, it is among the largest Cambodian cultural events in the U.S. and draws thousands of locals and visitors to Long Beach each year.

Besides the celebration, the parade and festival offer an important opportunity for cultural exchange and civic engagement in Long Beach. This year’s theme, “Peace Through Culture: Celebrating Unity Through Diversity,” is a reminder that Long Beach is stronger when its many parts come together, organizers said.

“It is so significant that the Cambodian community can share our culture,” San said. “We believe that by sharing our culture with our community and our friends, we can establish friendship and promote peace by sharing food and culture. That is what this event is supposed to do. For us, it’s to create this peaceful and enjoyable environment.”

San added that the event would not be possible without the support of volunteers, partners and sponsors, such as the city, Port of Long Beach, Visit LB, Long Beach Transit, Arts Council for Long Beach, Southern California Edison, among others.

The event is free and open to the public, San said, and all are welcome to join in celebrating Cambodian culture, as well as the rich diversity that defines Long Beach.

For more information about the Cambodian Town Parade and Culture Festival, visit cambodiatown.org.

Long Beach’s 18th annual Cambodian Town Parade, Culture Festival returns this weekend Orange County Register

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Long Beach’s 18th annual Cambodian Town Parade, Culture Festival returns this weekend

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