Welcome to Seattle Center
Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration will take place on May 4: 11am-6pm at the Armory Food & Event Hall. The festival is part of the Seattle Center Festál series. It is free and open to the public.
Seattle Center Festál is a year-round series of 24 free cultural festivals, produced in partnership with community organizations. In 2022, Festál celebrated 25 years of stories and traditions, ushering in a new era of hybrid programming. Learn more about Festál and subscribe to the newsletter for updates.
May 4, Saturday
| Time | Seattle Center Armory |
| 11:00am | Mak Fai Lion Dance Team |
| 11:15am | Opening Remarks, Dr. Jerry Nguyen; Welcoming Remarks, Erin Okuno, Co-Chair of Asian Pacific Directors Coalition (APDC); Toshiko Hasegawa, Executive Director, Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA); Tanya Woo, Seattle City Council |
| 11:30am | Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team |
| 11:45am | University of Washington Polynesian Student Alliance |
| 12:00pm | Huayin Performing Arts Group |
| 12:15pm | Guma’ Imahe |
| 12:45pm | Kinnaly |
| 1:00pm | Book Reading, Lori Matsukawa, Brave Mrs. Sato |
| 1:15pm | UW Micronesian Islands Club |
| 1:30pm | JunHong’s Kung Fu Club |
| 1:45pm | Morning Star Korean Cultural Center |
| 2:00PM | Alan Sugiyama Humbow Eating Contest |
| 2:30PM |
Apex Diabolo |
| 2:45PM | Khmer Amarak Performing Arts |
| 3:00PM |
Book Reading, Ivy Kwong, The Little Girl, The Ocean and The Moon |
| 3:15PM |
The KOMPANY |
| 3:30PM |
Seattle Lataki Group |
| 3:45PM |
Halau Hula Ka Lei Mokihana I Ka Ua Noe |
| 4:00PM |
Kaze Daiko Taiko |
| 4:15PM |
UW FASA Sayaw |
| 5:00PM | Live2Dance |
| 5:15PM |
Kosmix |
| 5:45PM | Closing Remarks, Dr. Jerry Nguyen |
Scone Dog
Donna Bolima
Emmaville Hayag
OVERVIEW
Seattle Center Festál presents Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration in partnership with the Asian Pacific Directors Coalition (APDC). The festival marks the beginning of the officially proclaimed and recognized Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) of May in the Greater Seattle area. It aims to preserve and promote the culture, heritage, and contributions of Asian Pacific Islanders (API) and Asian Pacific Americans (APA).
HISTORY
Asian Pacific Islander celebrations began in the 1970s, when student groups and coalitions at local high school and colleges organized events to showcase the rich heritage and diversity of their communities.
In 1982, the Asian Pacific Directors Coalition (APDC) was formed to support many events in the Greater Seattle area. APDC is comprised of over 40 executive directors, board presidents, and leaders from local non-profits, civil rights organizations, educational institutions, and government. APDC advocates for the needs of the API community, offers a platform for collaboration, and supports professional/organizational development.
In 2002, APDC formed a sub-committee to organize the Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration and joined Seattle Center Festál under the leadership of Alan ‘Al’ Sugiyama, a long-time community activist, first chairperson of APDC, and the first Asian American elected to the Board of Directors for Seattle Public Schools.
DID YOU KNOW?
The API community represents over 26 different ethnic communities with over 67 unique languages and dialects.
