The Asian Coalition of Tallahassee (ACT) proudly presents its 17th annual Experience Asia Festival, returning as an in-person event at Tom Brown Park in Tallahassee. Admission is free and open to the public.
Considered the largest of its kind in North Florida, this family-friendly festival celebrates the diversity of Asian and Asian Pacific cultures through performances, demonstrations, cuisine, arts and crafts, and more.
The festival’s two stages will host engaging displays from Japan, the Philippines, India, the Middle East, Indonesia, China, Taiwan, and the Polynesian Islands. Traditional drummers, dancers, musicians, martial artists, and others will represent their unique cultures and express their heritage through shared cultural experiences.
Additionally, the Experience Asia Festival will feature more than 70 exhibitors and vendors offering a diverse array of food, arts and crafts, jewelry, clothing, and other cultural items available for purchase.
Sponsored by the Consulate-General of Japan in Miami, the festival’s featured performers are the Matsuriza Taiko Drummers, who will offer a dynamic and thundering performance of the 2,000-year-old Japanese art form on the festival’s Dragon Stage. Under the leadership of Takemasa Ishikura, who directs the group in playing both traditional music and modern arrangements, Matsuriza continues to mesmerize festival goers each year with their rolling, clashing, and dramatic choreography and sound.
In addition to the performance by the Matsuriza Taiko Drummers, the festival’s Japan booth will offer visitors the opportunity to create their very own Tanabata decorations. Guests of all ages will enjoy the chance to express their wishes for the future while celebrating the Japanese star festival. The Japan booth will also feature a demonstration of Kendo, an exhilarating Japanese martial art characterized by its use of bamboo swords and distinctive, armor-like protective gear.
This year’s Experience Asia festival returns to in-person operations, with an anticipated attendance of 25,000. Launched by the ACT in 2005, the event brings together various Asian communities in the Tallahassee area and shares Asian heritage with the community-at-large through unique cultural experiences.
Experience Asia is sponsored by the Asian Coalition of Tallahassee, City of Tallahassee, Council on Culture and Arts, Leon County, Visit Tallahassee, Cumulus Radio and ABC 27.