21 May 2011 / Cleveland Asian Festival

The second annual Cleveland Asian Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday (May 21-22, 2011) in Cleveland’s AsiaTown neighborhood at the Asia Plaza shopping center and surrounding streets (2999 Payne Avenue and East 30th Street). The Cleveland Asian Festival is a collaborative effort by many organizations and communities in Greater Cleveland. It is coordinated by volunteer leaders within the Asian Pacific communities to foster, educate, and promote Asian culture and traditions, while celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

Cleveland Asian Festival is a landmark undertaking to unite the community through recognition of its culture, diversity, and people. The event is made possible by the volunteerism and participation of many diverse and ethnic groups including: Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Indian, Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian, Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian, and others.

The first ever CAF held on May 21, 2010 had over 10,000 attendees, and it was an overwhelming success, which formed a solid foundation for this upcoming year. The 2011 Festival will feature authentic Asian Cuisine and merchandise vendors, local and national performing artists, a children’s activities area, games, competitions, and a health fair that focuses on diseases and medical conditions that affect Asians Americans. It will also bring economic growth to the AsiaTown neighborhood by introducing this ethnic neighborhood to thousands of Clevelanders.

The event is free to the public and will run from 11am till 7pm on both days with ethnic performances on two stages throughout the day. This unique event provides an opportunity to learn and experience diverse Asian cultures, heritage and traditions through visual performance arts, cultural displays and demonstrations, educational materials, and interactive workshops. A special highlight of Cleveland Asian Festival is the numerous competitions where children and adults can compete in fun activities.