Archives > Plano Star-courier > News
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
AsiaFest boasts culture, cuisine
Paul Look / Courtesy Photo - Dancers wait for their turn onstage during the 2010 AsiaFest in Plano.
From Staff Reports
The eighth annual AsiaFest will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Haggard Park in Plano.
AsiaFest aims to blend social interaction with colorful glimpses into the music, dances, costumes, martial arts, food and cultures of Asian countries.
"Attendance grows every year," said Rachel Tran, board vice president and chairperson of this year's AsiaFest Committee. "Last year, AsiaFest drew a crowd of 9,500. This was a record for us."
Tran has coordinated the work of the AsiaFest committee the past two years.
Khatina Wahab and Nasima Chowdhury, who are charge of programming, said the fare will be varied.
There will be several martial arts demonstrations as well as a sampling of dances from India, the Philippines, China, Vietnam and Japan. Various ethnic musical instruments, including drums, will be played.
But the festival is not all fun and games. An underlying educational theme will take the form of exhibits and displays including a fashion show.
A variety of Asian cuisine will be available at the event. David Yu, who coordinates this facet of the exhibition, said reputable restaurants and caterers will be on duty. Plano Chinese BBQ, Cindy's NY Deli, Mango Thai, Henry's Homemade Ice Cream and Boba Latte are a few of these.
Stephen Li, one of the founders of The Celebrating Asian American Heritage Foundation (CAAHF), said that in 1990, President George H.W. Bush designated May as the Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month in order to recognize the contributions of Asian-Americans to America.
Talking about multiculturalism, Jain Li, who has held a number of positions, said the objectives of CAAHF, the organizers of AsiaFest, are to create opportunities for the inwardly looking groups of first-generation immigrants to integrate; to give the second generation Asian-Americans an occasion to participate in and present their dual heritage; to create a platform for the diverse communities of Plano to come together and interact at various levels; and to reflect the desire of the Asian communities to contribute to and enrich the cultural life of their city.
"We aim for a family-friendly event," said Paul Look, CAAHF president. "We make sure that while the adults are taking in the cultural, as the expression goes, the children are occupied. There are booths devoted exclusively to children's activities. Block printing is always popular, as is origami, the art of folding paper. Home Depot will be participating for the first time with an arts and crafts activity similar to the one conducted in their stores every second Saturday."
Jesse Yuan, board member in charge of booths and vendors, said the festival provides an opportunity for nonprofits to reach a greater audience. For this reason, nonprofits were charged a fee of only $15 per booth. The Asian Breast Health Outreach Project is one of the nonprofits that will be participating, and the Dallas Indian Women's Lions Club will be a first-time participant.
Laura Chang, CAAHF secretary, said AsiaFest is supported by the Plano mayor, the Plano City Council and the Plano Cultural Affairs Commission. It is sponsored by the city of Plano and local businesses. Sally Magnuson, also a board member, added that the event has the backing of the Plano Convention and Visitor's Bureau.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: News «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
