Well, summer's finally starting, and with the season comes the usual activities: Time at the beach, in the sun, walking around downtown, and going to festivals. This year's Cleveland Asian Festival was no exception to the summer fun, and a great way to kick off the season!
While the Festival had entered its sixth year, it was my first year to go. I went to the festival with friends who were also newbies, which worked out well. So, with Festival Veteran Lara* (she'd gone three times in the course of two days this year) and Festival newbie Ginger**, off we went.
We managed to find a place to park a block or so away for free, which was great! So, walking two minutes or so from our car to the festival, we were greeted with a throb of people and loud music. In other words, the festival was in full swing!
My crew and I were surprised. We hadn't expected this many people! So off we went, navigating the growing crowds as best as we could. The aisle-ways were wide enough to deal with the traffic, which was a nice improvement over other large events I've visited in the past. There was an area for food, vendors, and assorted organizations within the Greater Cleveland area to advertise, network, and so on.
One of the attractions at the festival: Kwan Lion Dance. Image Credit: Cleveland Asian Festival.
Next to the outdoor festival space was the Asiatown mall. I'd been in there multiple times before--Li-Wah makes some phenomenal Dim Sum, and my family loves to visit it -- but I'd never seen the rest of the mall before. So, even if the area was familiar(-ish), it was a new experience for my friends and I! On the days of the festival, the hallways were dotted with tables of shop-owners trying to attract more customers--and attract us they did, as we checked out every store, whether they were the gift shop, apothecary, or pharmacy. On the other end of the mall was health screenings--which, while I didn't do any, struck me as a smart idea for the health groups, as it's convenient and helps to raise awareness of different health issues.
Organization aside, the festival itself was booming, but not overwhelmingly so. Everyone there seemed to be loving it, and that vibe of enjoyment really permeated the air! It was a lovely feeling, to be surrounded by a bunch of people sharing their cultures and also having tons of fun. I live for this kind of thing!
There were Thai dancers, Japanese sushi stands, Chinese Dragon parades, a Filipino food stand, Cambodian clothing vendors, Indian food and apparel, and even a Korean Pop (K-Pop) Dance Competition. Overall, though, the largest group was the Chinese community, but that doesn't mean that the other communities were quieter in comparison--every group had their chance to shine and show the Greater Cleveland community some of their culture.
I, for one, got to have Korean food for the first time ever (Seoul Garden, which I'd highly recommend)--in my case, bulgogi, kimchi, jabchae, a fried dumpling, and some rice to help temper the flames of the kimchi. All in all, for $8, I got a lot of yummy food!
Later on in the festival, I got one of my favorite foods--onigiri. Combined with some Chinese tea and a bite of a glutinous rice dumpling (all incredibly affordable, I might add--my college student wallet thanks them!), it was all delicious. Overall, the food gets an A+!
There were also couple of shops devoted to the "nerdier" aspects of some Asian cultures--in this case, predominantly Japanese nerd culture--a couple of anime stands and video-game themed booths. One of the boutiques in-mall was devoted to My Neighbor Totoro and Rilakkuma merchandise. And, of course, a lot of Doraemon. In another stand, outdoors in the vendor area, I found some vintage anime DVDs and Japanese Pokemon cards, and my not-so-inner nerd leapt with joy when I could read the Pokemon's Japanese names! (Eight years of self-teaching Japanese finally paid off!) (I kid, I kid.) Still, no matter how great the temptation was, I decided to save my funds for a more unique souvenir.
For the other tables and tents, many were heritage groups, organizations, and the like. I found a few that matched my interests and checked out each one we passed--and, in the process, found a Japanese-language study group! やった！(Yay!) (JLPT, here I come. Someday.) Still, each stand was fun to talk to, and the variety of the group overall was very interesting.
Inside the mall, the gift shops, while not incredibly large, managed to pack a bunch of stuff into the space. They were filled to the brim with souvenirs, nick-knacks, figures, toys, tableware, and more! I loved checking out each, and even found my friends some gifts and myself a souvenir. The people running the shops were personable--one lady gave me a discount on my souvenir. She made my day!
Anyway, after at least 4 hours of fun, we were all exhausted, and decided to head home. As I basked in the joy of having visited a fun festival and learned more about the local Asian culture and heritage communities, all in all, it was a good day. Plus, I gained a little friend in the form of a cute jade keychain--a rat from the Chinese zodiac, which is my sign. I've always been interested in astronomical zodiacs, Western or otherwise, and I thought this lil' guy was too cute to resist! I also love keychains and the like, so it was a match made in souvenir heaven.
I named him Yuki, after Yuki Sohma, the Rat in the Chinese Zodiac of the classic manga Fruits Basket. (Zodiac Rats, represent!)
Aww. He's so cute! You can't see it super well in the picture, but he has a little smile.
My gushing about souvenirs and rambling aside, all in all, I'd highly recommend the Asian Festival. It's fun for the whole family, and there will be something there for everyone. Plus, there's always nothing more fun than learning more about other cultures, and sharing in cultural experiences with them.
I know I'm going next year--and if you're in the Cleveland area, you should too!
*Name changed for privacy reasons.
**Name also changed for privacy reasons.
