What is Cascadia Culture Week, you ask?

Cascadia Culture week is a chance for all of us passionate in the idea, the movement, or who love the Pacific Northwest, to come together and celebrate this amazing community and place that we live. No matter which team you root for, what language you speak at home, we are all Cascadian. It happens each week around Cascadia Day, which is May 18th on the anniversary of the Mt. St. Helens eruption, and first dreamed up by David McCloskey, who helped coin the term in the 1980’s as a way to celebrate our regions unique geologic and cultural dynamism. 

“We celebrate Cascadia Culture Week to remind ourselves of our distinct regional values, our unique cultural traditions and beliefs, and our devotion to creating a sustainable and equitable community in which leadership is in the hands of the people and a strong community is our greatest asset.”

So please, join us in celebrating Cascadia Culture Week. Every one of us make this movement special, and this is our time to celebrate that. 

We would love for every person to think about some way they can be a part of this week – whether it’s hosting a potluck, flying their flag, dressing in their Cascadia gear for Cascadia Day, sharing a social media post that helps raise awareness or hosting an art project. 

Some simple ways to celebrate Cascadia Culture Week: 

• Make a social media post: The easiest way to celebrate Cascadia is to make a post on Cascadia Day which is May 18th. Also think about making a post a day about something you find special about this region or the Cascadia movement. Either an interesting fact, or a tidbit of history, an idea, a hope, or a favorite local business or group making an impact where you live. Make sure to tag @Cascadiaunderground and @CascadiaNow #Cascadia #Cascadia Underground #CascadiaNow #CCW #Cascadiacultureweek during the week. If you’re a facebooker, feel free to use this great Cascadia flag overlay for your profile to help raise awareness. 
• Fly your flag & wear your swag! Help raise visibility by flying your flag and wearing your gear. Take the next step and find some businesses in your community who might be interested in putting up a sign or sharing the word. 
• Shop & eat locally. Use the week as an opportunity to share your favorite local businesses, restaurants, organizations, and businesses to friends and familoty. Do your shopping at a farmers market, cook meals using local ingredients, and have a great week knowing you are supporting your friends, family, neighborhood, and community, all in way which helps shift our actions to a bioregional model.
• Host a potluck or gathering! Meet a coffee shop, or invite friends over for an informal meet and greet. 
• Get active and volunteer. Hook in with an amazing cause or organization you feel represents Cascadian values in your neighborhood or city.
   
• Create an art project. Cascadia is a #DIY movement! Create or host a Cascadia art party that helps represent the things that are special. 
• Learn about Bioregionalism or Cascadia by checking out some of the awesome books and articles on our reading list here! Or take the next step and host a reading group or book club!

Make sure to share by tagging @cascadiaunderground on FB, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr or elsewhere. #Cascadia #CascadiaUnderground #CascadiaNow #CascadiaCW and we’ll share them out!

Know of a cool event, or want to share one? Submit an event to our community calendar or share on social media and tag us and we’ll share it out! 

One of the best things to do is to host a community event! Host a potluck, salon, discussion, art party, political card writing with friends, put up posters, reach out to businesses, organize a music night, a movie night, or a reading book, go on a hike with friends, get active with a cause or organization you love, throw a fundraiser for a cause, then email us or fill out the form to hook it in so we can share it out! 

And lastly, make sure to join the Cascadia Convergence this year, happening June 31-July 1 in SW Washington.