The purpose of the festival is to present a celebration of Oceanside and its first peoples, today known as the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians, one of the seven tribes of the Luiseño nation. The Luiseño are an indigenous people of California who inhabited the coastal area of Southern California; in the Luiseño language, the people call themselves Payómkawichum, meaning People of the West. Now in its third year, VAF aims to help support and celebrate the indigenous population that lived on the land now known as Oceanside for over 10,000 years, and to educate the community on the beauty and the strength of this amazing culture. A portion of proceeds from the festival will be donated to the San Luis Rey Mission Indian Foundation for enrichment programs.

FESTIVAL HISTORY:

Valley Arts Festival originally debuted in 2019 as “Mission District Arts Festival” and was envisioned to be an annual celebration of the vibrant arts & culture in the Oceanside valley, with a rotating theme each year. Like so many other community events, the festival was put on hold in 2020, but this allowed time for reflection and reinvention, and the festival made its official reemergence in 2021 as “Valley Arts Festival”, with the inaugural theme being a celebration of Oceanside and its first peoples, the Payómkawichum (People of the West). The seven tribes are known today as the Luiseño nation, and VAF specifically highlights one of the seven tribes, the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians. After the success of the event in 2021, the decision was made to continue Valley Arts Festival as an annual celebration of the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians and the Luiseño history and culture, aiming to help support and celebrate the indigenous population that lived on the land now known as Oceanside, and educate the community on the beauty and strength of this amazing culture. A portion of proceeds from the festival each year will be donated to the San Luis Rey Mission Indian Foundation for enrichment programs.