COLUMBUS, Ohio — The 29th annual Asian Festival is marking a milestone of sorts – the return of in-person festivities for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are so thrilled,” says Dr. Yung-Chen Lu, who founded the Asian Festival in 1995. “The performances, the food, culture, heritage and free health screenings."
Dr. Lu explained why the festival is one of the last large gatherings in central Ohio to move away from virtual.
“We were scared,” he said, noting the festival attracts up to 180,000 visitors over a two-day period every Memorial Day weekend.
This year’s festival takes place May 27-28, 2023, at Franklin Park.
Returning as well is the fan-favorite dragon boat race, which takes place Sunday, May 21. More than 20 contending row teams will hit the water near Bicentennial Park.
“It’s one of the most popular water sports and it helps people understand other cultures and we want that to happen in central Ohio and it puts us on the map,” Dr. Lu said.
Every year, the Asian Festival committee chooses to highlight one or two countries. This year it is the Philippines and Japan.
📧 Subscribe to the Wake Up CBUS newsletter featuring the best stories, personally curated by members of our staff and delivered via email by 6 a.m., Monday through Friday.
📺 10TV+ is available for free on Roku & Amazon Fire TV: Stay up to date on what's happening in your community with a 24/7 live stream and on demand content from 10TV — available on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.