In celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May, the Asian community in Northeast Ohio is putting together an extravaganza cultural experience that you can’t miss: the 2nd Annual Cleveland Asian Festival, a two days weekend of fun for the entire family, it is free and open to the public on May 21-22, 2011.

Cultural performances, martial arts demonstrations, children’s activities, merchandises and informational booths, authentic Asian cuisine, health pavilion with free screening, trolley tours and fun competitions. Cleveland Asian Festival has everything for everyone:

Two outdoor stages (CPP and PNC stages) will feature different performances taking you on a diverse journey across Asia: Lion and Dragon Dances, Martial Arts, Traditional Asian Fashions, Taiko Drums, Cleveland comedian Jaya Bidari – India’s Funniest Mom in America, Dancing, and many others. Headlining performances on stage is by NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” Original Winner, Vietnamese comedian Dat Phan, whom will be on stage to captivate the audience on Saturday!

The festival will include games, inflatable Sumo Wrestling, an inflatable bounce house and giant slide, Asian crafts, Dance Dance Revolutions, and prizes for parents looking for activities for the children will all be part of the festival. While in the area, give Caf the panda a big hug! Panda’s are shy, and Caf is especially elusive. Caf the panda will interact with visitors giving the children a weekend they can’t forget!

At the food court, visitors will have the opportunity to experience authentic Asian cuisine in one location at the festival’s food court, sample food from over a dozen of style such as Japanese, Thai, Korean, Chinese, Himalayan/Nepalese , Cambodian, Philippines, Northern India, and many other countries. A delightful cultural tour through ethnic food and drinks within one location. Stroll through over 100+ booths with of merchandises, informational or cultural displays at the World Market, exhibitors which includes include Asian clothing, jewelry, handbags and other accessories, souvenirs, social service agencies and exhibitors throughout.

Meet and Greet with actress Yin Chang at The Event booth! She plays “Mei Kwan” in Walt Disney’s movie PROM. Ms. Chang is most recognized for her role as ‘Nelly Yuki’ on CW’s Gossip Girl. Chang has also appeared on NBC’s Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Criminal Intent and ABC’s Six Degrees. Also at the Japanese Association of Northeast Ohio (JANO) booth booth, they will be support their effort in raising funds for Japan Disaster Relief., so head over there and give in to a good cause.

The Health Pavilion will be back this year but at a new location inside the Asia Plaza with physicians readily to assist. They will provide free screenings such as children’s blood lead levels, bone density, cholesterol, and glucose. Additionally, free health talks are scheduled with bilingual interpreters available to assist in translations. For females, there will also be mammograms by appointment only.

The Eating competitions are also back! Join the Samosa Eating Competition on Saturday at 5pm and the Egg Roll eating competition on Sunday at 5pm. Looks for the stage located in the food court. Festival attendees are encouraged to cheer and rally for the winner, a fun activity for those craving for some good eating challenge!

One new addition this year is the free Lolly the Trolley tour around the AsiaTown neighborhood. Hop onto the Trolley to discover local secrets in AsiaTown with a tour guide providing brief history of the area. The Trolly will also make stops during its route allowing passengers the opportunity to experience additional exhibitions at Ariel International Center, Tyler Village and Asian Town Center.

With something for everyone for the whole family, there are endless activities at the 2011 Cleveland Asian Festival. Festival goers can also take advantages of several free parking in the AsiaTown neighborhood and Cleveland State University lots S1, Y1, Y2 with free shuttle service.

The Cleveland Asian Festival is a free event happening on May 21st and May 22nd at Asia Plaza located on the corner of Payne Avenue and East 30th Street. The festival this year will run 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM both days. Check out the detailed scheduled performances, directions, parking information, or list of exhibitors here

Date and Time: May 21st-May 22nd from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM (both days). Rain or shine.
Location: 2999 Payne Avenue, Cleveland OH, 44114

2010 Cleveland Asian Festival Promo