All throughout May, WTOP is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with stories about the people and places shaping the D.C. region.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, and a festival this weekend in the City of Fairfax in Virginia, celebrates with food, music, and art.
The fifth annual Asian Festival on Main will take place on Sunday, May 18. Festival co-chair Jinson Chan, who owns the restaurant High Side, calls it an “Asian street party.” The free outdoor event will be held from noon until 6 p.m. in Old Town Fairfax.
“We really want to put these events out there to celebrate our Asian heritage and culture,” Chan said. “Celebrate love instead of hate.”
There will be food vendors selling a variety of Asian cuisine, including Korean corn dogs, Vietnamese tacos and matcha croissants. Other highlights include a marketplace, karaoke and a beer garden. Plus, this year they’ve expanded the Cosplay contest.
“I think folks are going to really enjoy that, because you’re going to notice them. They’re going to stand out in the crowd, and it also just adds to the ambience,” said festival co-chair Tina Disch, executive director of the Old Town Fairfax Business Association. “We’re hoping that folks will come and take pictures with them and interact with them.”
There will be live cultural performances all day, including a Bollywood dance, K-pop singers, karate demonstrations, a lion dance and a Japanese dog parade. New this year is an event passport you can get stamped to win prizes.
“I think folks are going to just love and fall in love with Asian Festival on Main,” Disch said. “There’s something for everybody, and I think that anybody of any age is really going to enjoy the event.”
The festival began five years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic in response to a surge in attacks against the Asian American community. According to The Associated Press, there are now concerns anti-Asian hate could intensify, considering the crackdowns on immigration and DEI policies.
Asian Festival on Main aims to celebrate diversity and bring people together. The event drew 25,000 people in 2024, and organizers expect an even bigger turnout this year.
“The City of Fairfax has embraced this festival and have been very supportive,” Chan said. “I feel like it makes an impact [by] understanding what Asian culture is all about.”
For more information about the Asian Festival on Main, check out its website.
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