The 12th Annual Experience Asia Festival will return to Lewis and Bloxham Parks on October 8, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Organized by the Asian Coalition of Tallahassee (ACT), the festival showcases Asian and Asian Pacific cultures and heritage through cultural performances, hands-on activities, cuisine, music, dance and more. Admission is free for guests of all ages.

Featured performances include EPCOT’s Matsuriza Taiko Drummers, Japanese dance group Wakafuji-kai, Filipino Bamboo Chimes of Tampa, Manya School of Dance and 30 other local teams. Sponsored by the Consulate-General of Japan in Miami, Matsuriza will perform during the festival’s opening ceremony and finale.

Additionally, the Japanese community’s booth will show guests how to write their name in Hiragana and Katakana, create Tanabata decorations, make origami, try on a Yukata (kimono), learn about Ikebana (the art of flower arrangement), purchase Japanese crafts and take photos with no-face panels of a Sumo wrestler and Ukiyo-e. Additionally, a portable Shinto shrine will be paraded by students of FSU and Georgia State University.