Expect cosplayers dressed as K-Pop Demon Hunters, Asian-pop dance competitions, and cuisine from 35 different food vendors at the 17th annual Cleveland Asian Festival coming to Cleveland’s Asiatown Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17.
Now in its 17th year, this year’s festival will be “bigger than previous years,” co-founder Johnny Wu said. The festival will have more than 130 vendors and a health pavilion providing free screenings and resources.
The theme of this year’s festival is ‘cuisine’
Many of the food vendors participating in the Cleveland Asian Festival this year will also be competing for the CAF Cuisine Champion award, which is voted on by festival attendees. A panel of judges will vote on the Judge’s Award for Best CAF Food.
Parilya, a Filipino restaurant in Olmsted Falls, won last year’s judge’s award with its pork sisig dish, chargrilled meat with onions and sweet and spicy peppers served over rice and topped with a fried egg.
The popular Himalayan Restaurant, which serves Indian and Nepalese dishes, and Siam Cafe will be among the food vendors at the festival this year.
Cosplayers show off their talents
The Cleveland Asian Festival’s popular Cosplay Showcase takes the stage at 4:45 p.m. Saturday. Co-founder Lisa Wong said organizers began the cosplay showcase because so many people were coming to the festival dressed as historical or pop culture figures.
“Many people on their own may dress up and cosplay and just walk around,” she said. “People ask to take their picture and they’ll agree. … So many people were dressing up, well, why don’t you come on stage and show off your costume that you made?”
In the past, cosplayers have come to the festival dressed as Bruce Lee, Mulan, anime characters and historical figures. Wu said he will be dressed as Cui Qi, a Tang dynasty-era military officer from the 2019 Netflix series “The Longest Day In Chang‘an” [Shanghai]. Wong said to also expect K-Pop Demon Hunters from the 2025 animated film.
Asian culture on display
In addition to cosplay, two full days of performances will also include dance competitions and fashion shows.
The “Colors of Asia” fashion show features traditional clothing representing the many countries in the region, like Bali and India. The Silk Road Cultural Collective will celebrate the historical culture of China by bringing sets of real armour to represent the dynasties of China – from Tang in early centuries to the Ming dynasty in the 14th century.
K-pop, Nepali hip-hop and Bollywood are just three of the eight categories dancers are competing in at the Cleveland Asian Festival’s dance contest. Winners from each category will square off in the final competition Sunday at 5:30 p.m. for a first place prize of $1,000.
For more information on the Cleveland Asian Festival, including a downloadable program guide, visit the festival website.
