The second day of the second annual Cleveland Asian Festival was held on Payne Avenue around Asia Plaza on Sunday and drew the crowds in for a taste of the East on a warm day. The festival celebrated many different Asian cultures and attracted about 25,000 people who attended the two day event in downtown Cleveland. Visitors sampled food from a vast array of Asian delicacies and were treated to martial arts demonstrations, dance performances and other cultural presentations held in the performance tents. Children’s games such as sumo wrestling with inflatable sumo outfits were also held.
The stage events included the Myanmar Bamboo Dance which was performed by members of the Karen community. This dance is traditionally performed on New Year’s Day and represents the importance of bamboo in the Karen culture. A classical South Indian dance telling the story of Hanuman the Monkey God as he grew in strength and wisdom was performed by members of the Nritya Gitanjali School of Dance. The Shaolin Martial Arts School displayed the skills of students from ages six to adult under the direction of T’Shaka Brown and assisted by Robert King.
The Cleveland Asian Festival was an instant hit in its very first year, and locals were excited to attend the event the second time around this year. This year’s festival ended at 7pm on Sunday, with attendees leaving the venue satisfied with authentic Asian cuisine and the delightful displays of Asian culture showcased throughout the day. The Asian community is currently the second fastest growing ethnic group in the region.
