Mother Nature Showed Up at Fiesta Asia – But We Know How to Party in the Rain

By Jennie L. Ilustre

Fiesta Asia unfurled the welcome mat for the community and the general public on May 18. The annual Sunday extravaganza showcased an array of individual and group performers, and yes, cutting-edge bands, food and product vendors, and offered fun activities for the young and the old alike.

But one uninvited guest turned up: Mother Nature. She rained on the festival’s parade. The good news: She didn’t come with thunder and lightning, and she left early.
Even better, everyone involved just went ahead and enjoyed the all-day experience in the nation’s capital. “The show must go on,” parade participant Carl Abella cheerfully remarked. Showtime began with the Cultural Parade at 1 p.m., led by Fiesta Asia Dragon Enzo. Dragons signify good luck in Asia.

Fiesta Asia was organized by the Asia Heritage Foundation. AHF is a cultural organization which aims “to share, celebrate, and promote the diversity of Asian heritage and culture through the arts, traditions, education, cuisine, and way of life represented in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area.”
Sans umbrellas, performers and other participants wearing colorful national costumes and bright smiles, chanting and tapping on drums, lifted the spirits of the crowd. The parade went along Pennsylvania Avenue, from 6th Street to 3rd Street and back. Rain trickled. The parade went on. That’s showbiz. In this Social Media Age, what’s a bit of drizzle – for that was what it was, a passing shower – and rain actually inspired teenagers, who goofed for the camera for memories headed for Facebook.
And lest one forgets, Fiesta Asia has become a tradition. “We were here last year, when sunny weather drew bigger crowds, ten times it is today,” said Vietnamese American Trang Nguyen from Arlington, Virginia. “This is one way to introduce our culture to my granddaughter, Skylai. It’s something she will remember, that’s why I bring her everywhere there’s a celebration.” She also had a professional-looking Nikon camera to record the moment.

Skylai, 3, was thrilled to learn fan-making. She colored a piece of paper shaped like a mini-fan, added glitter. Another kid, Safiyah, who is “half-Japanese and half-Bengalese,” said her dad, “is very artistic – she likes to sing, dance, perform.” Safi seriously attended to her paper fan, splashing colors and glitter.

“As you can see, kids are all about glitter,” joked Kristie Kim, a sophomore at the University of Maryland College Park (UCMP). She glued the paper fans on ready-made sticks, and the kids hopped happily away.
Festival volunteers Kristie and Hyoin Kang chatted and giggled at the Kiddiz Cool Zone, enticing everyone with its soap bubble makers and fun activities. Longtime friends? “No,” they replied. “We just met today.” Nearby, Filipino American lantern-maker Ramon Lomosbog and his wife, the former Esperanza de Dios, were busy showing male and female teens how to make star-shaped parols (lanterns) out of bamboo sticks.

Cameras Galore
Parents were everywhere, clicking away. At the main stage, the Cultural East Stage, strategically placed to show the famous Capitol Dome in the background, performers made the elders in the audience forget about the gloomy sky, transported as they were to a distant land they still call home. Young couples huddled under green and blue umbrellas.
This is the magic of festivals. The old and the young generations look forward to this special day, when they bond as they celebrate their unique cultures, friends meet friends they haven’t seen in years, where everyone takes lots and lots of pictures, and eats the day away.
A steady stream of customers came by the Thai booths. But last year drew bigger crowds. “I don’t think I’ll make the same as last year,” said Krit Yampai. He smiled and shrugged. Food vendors coughed up $750 for each booth. Krit had two very popular booths offering Pad Thai and chicken barbecue, and smoothies. Krit, his wife Jannapa and daughter, Kritchanan, 11, left their house at 5 a.m. to set up their booths.

The event was from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Remarked Wuiping Yap of Asia Heritage Foundation, who arrived at 3 a.m.: “I haven’t slept for 42 hours. Post-event, clean-up will be till 11 p.m. I’ll be home at midnight. I don’t know how much longer I can go on doing this.” She meant staying up on her feet, and keeping Fiesta Asia afloat. Fiesta Asia costs $70,000 to mount, including the fees for licenses, security and trash disposal. “We need funding support. We’re so grateful to our sponsors, our community, program and media partners. Of course, to all the performers and volunteers as well, and the crowds.They make it all worthwhile.”

At Fiesta Asia, the light rain was no match for the teens’ spirit of fun. The stuff that continuously thrilled the senses, all the sundry stuff going on simultaneously? Listen to teens gushing, as if to themselves, until you noticed the earpiece: “Seriously? I don’t know where to start. The food! The smoothies! The faux bling! The T-shirts! Did I tell you about the T-shirts?”And then there were the three stages, and martial arts demonstrations. Said Shane Long, 13, of Hung Tao Choi Mei: “Kung fu, it’s fun! I started when I was 5. When I was 8, we went to China and Hongkong, and I won 3rd place in a tournament, and that was way beyond fun.”

Main Stage
Performers included the Alice Gu Zheng Ensemble, Ancient Rhythms Dance Company, Asian American Lead (AALEAD), Balaji Academy, Chinese Cultural and Community Center Doonya Dance, the| embassies of Korea, Nepal,and Tajikistan, the Fairfax Chinese Dance

Troupe, Hulala, Karabakh Foundation, Korean Culture Ministry, Kuchipudi Dance Academy, Migrant Heritage Commission Fil-Am Heritage Dance Ensemble, the Mongolian Dance Ensemble, Natyabhoomi School of Dance, Nrityakidance Academy, Nrityananda Dance School, PriorBangla, Ragaa DC, Rumah Gadang, Ta’ata Roi Roi, TADA-Walter Johnson, Tepua Hio Hio, the Thai Youth Group, the Tibetan Dance Group and Whratnala USA.

Rhythmic West Stage
The list of performers follows: 3 Stars and a Sun,|Ace, Alex Cena, Alice Park, Bangla Fever, Danse Flat, Desiree J, Felicia Chou, Graffik, Guitararound, Gus Alzona’s Trademark Band, Intrepid, Ivy Rose, Jennifer Nguyen, Josette Francia, Juan sim, Kriskatlin Zabata, Legendary, Lil Wing, Michelle Chong, Monir Hossain, Radio Rahim, Sally Yu,| Skyline & Anti Band, SNRG, Suty Komsonkeo and Tho Truong.

Martial Arts Demo
Crowds lingered around the enclosed area featuring Hollywood-style martial arts experts and students: Akal Gatka Akhara, Al-Azhar Silat, Blue Montain Martial Arts, Dahn Yoga, DC Aikido, Gosu, Hapmudo, Hung Tao Choy Mei, Hwarang Martial Arts, Omei Wushu Center, Pentagon MMA, San Yama Bushi & Combination Goju, Shaolin Temple USA, Sun & Moon Taji One, Ten Shin Ichi Ryu, Ultimate Escrima, US Chinese Wu Shu Institute, Wu Shen Tao Health & Martial Arts.

Raks Fiesta Asia Stage

Al Massraweya Troupe, Alexia, Anna, Asala Bellydance Artist, Bahiya, Donna Manalo, Donna Sullivan, Groove Merchant, Jen Tether, Layla Dance, Liz Slaterbeck, Malina, Meridian Dance Company, Nadia, Sahara Dance, Sama, Serendipity Tribal, Shadiyah, Sha’vei, Shawkat Sayyed & Nazira, The Calmes Triplets, Tribal Remix and Zaira al Zaha.

Asian Fortune is an English language newspaper for Asian American professionals in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Visit fb.com/asianfortune to stay up to date with our news and what’s going on in the Asian American community.