Welcome to Seattle Center
SEATTLE, WA – Enjoy the rich culture and diversity of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities through performances, cuisine, children’s activities, vendors, and more at the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration at Seattle Center on Saturday, May 3 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Working to promote Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) culture, heritage, and contributions for current and future generations, along with the general public, the festival aims to give space for AANHPI communities in Washington to share their preserved traditions.
“This year’s festival will showcase more than 40 countries and distinct cultural groups, languages, and customs in our local AANHPI communities,” said Peter Tsai, Chairperson of the AANHPI Heritage Month Celebration Committee. “We will have performances, cuisine, retail vendors, children's activities, and displays from a wide variety of cultures. In addition, we will also have even more food options than previous years, plus interactive games, and surveys.”
The Alan Sugiyama Hum Bow Eating Contest – an annual favorite, named for the late, longtime chair of the festival and community activist- will begin at 2 p.m.
Throughout the day, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., traditional and contemporary dance and musical groups will perform, including: The Kompany, Khmer Amarak Performing Arts, Huayin Performing Arts Group, Mak Fai Kung Fu Dragon and Lion Dance, Kinnaly, Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team, Apex Diabolo, Lincoln High School Vietnamese Student Group, Aakriti Dance Academy, Beatbox Panda, Hula O Lehualani, Sabyu, Seattle Lataki Group, Sayaw (FASA sa UW), Seattle Kokon Taiko, Nance of Guma’ Gela’, and Te Fare O Tamatoa. In addition, Kelly Goto will be reading snippets from her new book, Seattle Samurai: A Cartoonist's Perspective of the Japanese American Experience, on stage.
A wide, indoor selection of local AANHPI retail vendors, and robust food truck and vendor options will be available for visitors to peruse and shop outside the Armory building.
“Every year I look forward to this great family-friendly event for the delicious food alone!” said Heidi Jackson, Seattle Center Managing Artistic Director of Cultural Programs. “It’s so much more than that, of course. Seattle Center’s partnership with the Asian Pacific Directors Coalition goes all the way back to 2002 when the festival came to our campus under Alan Sugiyama’s leadership. We’re so happy to continue this long relationship to celebrate so many AANHPI cultures and heritage.”
This festival is part of the Festál series of 25 festivals, presented by various cultural organizations and hosted by Seattle Center throughout the year.
About Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration and the Asian Pacific Directors Coalition
The Asian Pacific Directors Coalition (APDC) has been a strong advocate for the community and has provided the leadership and support to this event for over 25 years at the Seattle Center and in the community. The group has a deep commitment and ties to the numerous AANHPI groups represented at the festival and is interested in preserving and showcasing the rich culture of the community. APDC members and organizations are the primary sponsors, supporters and organizers of the event. Information on the festival is available at www.seattlecenter.com, as well as on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Seattle Center Festál
Seattle Center Festál is a unique public program series of 25 free cultural festivals, each offering its own celebration of heritage and identity. These events provide a range of engaging programs and activities to cultivate a deeper understanding of the diversity of our region. Seattle Center Festál is produced in partnership with community groups, presented on weekends from January to November and supported by City of Seattle, Seattle Center Foundation, and 4Culture.
About Seattle Center
Connect to the extraordinary at Seattle Center, an active civic, arts, and family gathering place in the core of our city and region. Seattle Center’s 74-acre campus, centered around the International Fountain, is part of the Uptown Arts & Cultural District and home to Climate Pledge Arena; more than 30 cultural, educational, sports, and entertainment organizations; and a broad range of public and community programs. In everything it does, Seattle Center’s mission is to create exceptional events, experiences, and environments which delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities.
Seattle Center has expanded its role to provide maintenance and public safety services for Seattle’s new Waterfront Park, a series of new public spaces on Seattle’s downtown waterfront between Pioneer Square and the Seattle Aquarium. Seattle Center supports managing these new waterfront public spaces in partnership with the non-profit Friends of Waterfront Seattle, which offers the community a range of recreational and cultural programming.
Thanks to the support of Official Seattle Center Partners – Alaska Airlines, The Climate Pledge, Coors Light, Pepsi, Premera, Symetra, T-Mobile, and WaFd Bank – Seattle Center is the #1 arts and entertainment destination in the Pacific Northwest with 12 million annual visitors, generating $1.864 billion in business activity and more than $631 million in labor income annually.
Contact
Jayme Stocker, Seattle Center
206-507-5353 jayme.stocker@seattle.gov
