To celebrate the most important holiday of the year in the Vietnamese culture, thousands of Orange County residents joined OCTA at the OC Tết Fest at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley and the UVSA Tết Festival at the OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa at the end of January.
“OCTA is proud of its many Vietnamese-American team members who work with the entire staff to deliver transportation services and solutions for the community,” said Garden Grove Mayor and OCTA Board Chairman Steve Jones. “We wish the community a happy ‘Year of the Rat’ as we continue to move Orange County forward into the new decade.”
OCTA’s colorful booths at both Tết festivals paid homage to Vietnam’s rich cultural past and highlighted how Orange County’s Vietnamese community is positively impacting the future of the county. The booths featured festive and enriching activities along with giant Instagram cut-outs for fun photo opportunities with family, friends and loved ones, highlighting the importance of transportation to the community.
Those who shared their photos online while at the Tết festivals received special limited-edition Vietnamese cultural game boards that are popular during the holiday.
Through surveys, community members shared their ideas and suggestions about improving transportation in Orange County. They also watched a video about the $408-million OC Streetcar, the county’s first modern electric streetcar that will run on a 4.15-mile route through Santa Ana and Garden Grove. The video – with special narration by Vietnamese-American celebrity Quỳnh Hương – shared images of people and places the modern-day streetcar will benefit.
Many avoided the heavy traffic and parking issues by taking the bus to the Tet festivals. OC Bus routes 34, 37, 70 and 72 provided service to Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley, while routes 47, 55 and 71 transported revelers to OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa.