Catch the Asian spirit in Dallas as “31 days of Asia” begins kicked off with the recent Asian Festival at Klyde Warren Park, one of Dallas’ most popular festivals. Celebrating the unique arts and cultures of Asia, the Asian Festival is now in its 25th year and this moved to the new location after originally being held at Main Street Gardens.
“This was a new breakthrough for the Festival,” says Stacie Wheelock Adams, media contact for the Asian Festival, which was presented by the Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce and the Crow Collection of Asian Art.
The Crow Collection of Asian Art aspect was a new addition this year too in an effort to ensure the best of Asian Arts and Culture would be represented at the festival. Year round the Crow Collection of Asian Art is a free museum located in the Dallas Arts District featuring a variety of spaces and galleries with changing exhibitions of the arts of China, Japan, India, Korea and Southeast Asia drawn from cultures ancient and contemporary.
“We were very proud of the diversity and artistry of the performers, booths and art making experiences available this year [at the Festival],” says Adams and with the Asian population in the metroplex continuing to grow every year, the festival speaks to a large population of Dallas residents. However, Adams adds that the Asian Festival is also “targeted toward the culturally curious as well as Asian-Americans looking to celebrate and engage in Asian cultural and artistic experiences.”
The event was moved to Klyde Warren Park this year because as Adams says a “larger footprint.” Additional included a wellness stage where Asian wellness practices and vendor booths were featured as well as a broader and more diverse marketplace, where vendors were able to sell high quality works of traditional and contemporary art and craft items.
As for the Crow Collection of Asian Art involvement, Adams says “The Crow brought their popular Passport to Asia For Kids again this year, which provides art making opportunities and learning experiences for various Asian Countries in the kids area, as well as hosting the various wellness experiences such as yoga, tai chi and meditation and traditional Asian games such as sudoku, carrom and shuttlecock. Behind the scenes the Crow Collection staff and volunteers were also working hand-in-hand with the Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce and the Asian Community overall to present outstanding performances and experiences all day long.”
So with the expected 20,000 people in attendance to celebrate the day, each year the Asian Festival grows with folks from all walks of life having the chance to take a look at the diversity of over 30 countries.
The event also marked the first in a number of events featuring Asian-Pacific Heritage Month in Dallas in the month of May.
Overall, the Asian Festival is a signature event of the “31 days of Asia,” which is a month-long celebration of Asian-Pacific Heritage Month. For more information visit www.crowcollection.org.