Photo courtesy of Kim Huncherick
The Asian Festival is back during Memorial Day Weekend.
No matter your origin or ethnicity, the Asian Festival welcomes everyone to come out and not only celebrate, but promote the importance of cultural diversity in the community.
The festival, which began in 1995, continues to grow and gain support year after year, providing a fun and entertaining experience for people of all ages. With food, games, cultural exhibits, a marketplace, career fair and more, there is sure to be something exciting for everyone.
Performances will feature local, regional, national and international artists who will perform classical, folk and contemporary Asian art. Martial artists will also be at the festival, promoting health and fitness, self-defense skills, philosophical and spiritual growth, and life skills.
Photo courtesy of Kim Huncherick
Parents are encouraged to bring their children, as there is a special children’s area featuring games, crafts, calligraphy and dressing up in ethnic costumes. If you’re into sports and games, there will be ping-pong, sepak-takraw (a game similar to volleyball, but played using the feet) and other Asian-origin games that will showcase local talent and provide fun competition throughout the day.
If those games aren’t enough for you, dragon boating, which is a sprint sport that is an honored tradition originating from southern China, will have 300 meter races that typically last two minutes. Grab your friends and put together a team!
Attending the event is free, and includes free parking and a free shuttle. The event, which takes place in Franklin Park outside the Franklin Park Conservatory, opens on Saturday, May 27 at 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. and runs until Sunday, May 28 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Jake Nerone is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
