Have You Eaten?: A Rest from the Rage
Friday, July 11 - Sunday, July 13, 2025
Japanese Presby, Seattle, WA
The world feels like it’s on fire, and we’re all exhausted. In this bleak landscape, PAAC invites you to Seattle for a weekend in July to take a break from the chaos, spend time with like-minded community, and care for each other. We’re going to nourish each other with our stories, our food, and conversations we don’t get to have in our everyday lives: How do we claim our space and our stories when institutions are set on erasing them? How do we raise kids in this landscape and care for aging elders? How do we center and care for our queer siblings? How do we take care of ourselves and each other when it feels like the world is getting exponentially worse? How do we live ethically in a world that’s inherently unethical? We have a long journey ahead of us, and we hope this time together gives us the opportunity to rest, recharge, and reset.
We’re especially excited to be gathering in Seattle, with its deep history of Asian American communities, multiracial coalitions, and Asian American activism. A significant part of our weekend will be spent experiencing Asian American Seattle, from restaurants to bookstores to museums, and we hope that this time – and this vision of what the world could be – will nourish and inspire us too. We can’t wait to be together in July!
We acknowledge that the city of Seattle are on unceded territory of the Coast Salish people.
Early Bird Registration ends April 30th, 2025
Ticketing & Lodging Registration ends May 31st, 2025
Unable to attend but would like to support? Donate here!
Pricing
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Includes Thursday full walking tour by John Okamoto for early arrivals, Friday - Sunday programming, snacks & beverages on Friday & Sunday, snacks/beverages/lunch on Saturday, after-hours at Mam’s Books on Friday, Karaoke Party on Saturday, Chinatown-International District (CID) walking tour by Devin Cabanilla Friday & Sunday.
Early Bird $85 (ends 4/30)
Adult $110
Children (There will be childcare [0-6] and kids programming [7-17] on Saturday. High School age kids may choose to join adult programming with parental/guardian consent.)
$20 First child
$15 Second Child
$10 Third+ Child
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Day Pass Friday $25 (includes programming, snacks, and CID afternoon walking tour by Devin, after-hours at Mam’s Books)
Day Pass Saturday $85 (includes programming, snacks, beverages, lunch, and karaoke)
Karaoke [only] Ticket $15 (admission to PAAC Karaoke, beverages & food not included)
PAACs can invite non-PAACs to karaoke, each person will need a ticket.
Day Pass Sunday $25 (includes programming, snacks, and CID morning walking tour by Devin, this is the same tour as Friday)
Tenative Schedule
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Walking Tour, Approx 11am - 3pm, 4hrs, 2.5 miles
Seattle PAAC member, John Okamoto, is offering a walking tour to early arrivals! This tour is free for early registration & regular ticket holders and covers areas not included in the weekend walking tours. It is approximately 4 hours long, including a lunch stop. There will be opportunities to hop off from the walking tour if needed. A minimum of 6 participants is needed, so please grab a ticket if you're interested so we can get an approximate headcount.
I am a Seattle native John Okamoto, a third generation Japanese American. My windy career has led me to have involvement in the recent development of Seattle’s infrastructure with a long history in public service including as Seattle Councilmember.
The walking tour will cover the development of Seattle as a global city, the indigenous natives of the area, and the significant contributions of Asian immigrants. Themes common to the experiences of immigrants to the United States will be shared from the lens of Asian immigrants including escape from poverty, seeking prosperity, persistence, persecution, and the application of power and privilege in both beneficial and harmful ways. I will blend in some history of our church. And you'll get a dose of my humor.
The walking route will start at the Sound Transit Chinatown International District light rail station surface plaza, catch the light rail and walk through the historic Pike Place market, the transformed waterfront, old Pioneer Square, and end at the Chinatown International District light rail station. Along the way, points of history of the development of the city as well as immigration experiences will be highlighted. The walk is approximately 2.5 miles.
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[1pm Fellows from Season 3 & 4 will be meeting]
3pm-5pm Japanese Presby [1801 24th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144]
Registration w/ light refreshments
Welcome
Centering and Connecting
5pm-10pm Evening Options in CID:
Walking Tour of Chinatown International District led by Devin. This tour is approximately an hour.
Dinner together
After-hours: Drinks, Mahjong, and Books at Mam’s Books
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10am-4pm Japanese Presby
Coffee Hour, Welcome, Centering
Introduction + Keynote + Q&A
Lunch (provided by PAAC)
Conversation Circles & Workshops
Caring for Aging Elders
Parenting in the Present Landscape
Living Ethically in an Unethical World
Self-Care & Collective Community Care When the World is Ablaze
Queer Asian Stories Panel
5pm-10pm Evening Options in CID
Grab dinner with new and old friends
PAAC Karaoke Party (pay for your own drink + snacks, location TBD)
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10am-12pm Options:
10am Japanese Presby outdoor worship at Seward Park - Picnic Shelter 3 (public worship).
11:30am Walking Tour of Chinatown International District (CID) led by Devin. This tour is approximately an hour and is the same as Friday's tour. We will have luggage hold if needed!
12:30pm Wing Luke Museum (pay own admission)
Open at 10am
PAAC Group Rate only applicable at 12:30pm. $12 per adult, $6.50 per elementary school student, and $8.25 per middle or high school student. A separate call will go out for this after registration ends.
The Wing Luke Museum is an art and history museum which focuses on the culture, art and history of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Established in 1967, the museum is a Smithsonian Institution affiliate and the only pan-Asian Pacific American community-based museum in the United States.
1:30pm-3pm Lunch & Release at Hing Hay Park
Bring your own lunch or from a nearby business! We will have snacks & beverages
We'll have a time of reflection and formally end our weekend together.
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How are you defining PAAC? Queer-affirming, feminist, part of the Asian diaspora (including multiracial Asian folks), Christian or formerly Christian-identifying. If that’s you, this whole weekend is for you.
Can non-PAACs attend? Non-PAACs that are queer-affirming may attend the Friday evening options, the Saturday evening options, and Sunday if they are invited by a PAAC attending the gathering. Non-PAACs will not be able to attend sessions at Japanese Presby on Friday & Saturday. There is a separate karaoke ticket available for Saturday. For all other events (walking tour, after-hours), we ask for a suggested donation to PAAC via Venmo the day of.
Are there any scholarships for the gathering? Scholarships are funded through PAAC donations! We will do our best to help you with the funds that are available.Apply here! If you’d like to subsidize a ticket, please making an extra donation when checking out or through here (leave a comment to specify your donation).
Where should I stay? We recommend finding accommodations as close to central Seattle as possible. Capitol Hill, First Hill, Central District, Beacon Hill are best bets. If you would like to be matched with someone local that can accommodate you, please let us know in registration. American Hotel (hostel) in the Chinatown-International District is the most affordable lodging option closest to Presby & events occurring in the CID.
Is there transportation from the airport? The airport is connected via Link Light Rail that runs north + south. It’s very easy to get to central Seattle on it.
Is there parking at Japanese Presby? Yes! There is a dedicated parking lot at the church.
Is there parking in the CID? Pay lots and paid street parking.
How should I get around? We recommend taking public transportation where it’s possible. There is a bus, Light Rail, and street car. Like most major cities, please be cautious and aware of your surroundings. Rideshare scooters & bicycles are available around the city as well as Lyft & Uber. Seattle Yellow Cab (they also have an app) is an alternative and currently cheaper than Lyft & Uber.
Will there be any coordination from PAAC if I want to attend Tacoma Pride on the 12th? We are unable to coordinate for Tacoma Pride but you're welcome to join back up with us in the evening for the PAAC Karaoke Party! There will be a separate ticket available for purchase for karaoke.
Questions? Email aya@paachristians.org