Asian Heritage Street Celebration on May 21

The largest pan Asian street fair nationwide will be held on May 21 in San Francisco in front of the Asian Art Museum leading up to the Little Saigon District, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The 7th Annual Asian Heritage Street Celebration will feature a new Asian Arts and Crafts Alley, a mah jong section and jazz and wine area, along with Asian American artists, DJs, martial arts experts, today’s Asian pop culture, j-cars, free film screenings, scrumptious food, a Children’s area with hands-on activities, games and rides, a health living pavilion and more.

A celebration of all Asian and Pacific Islander cultures, the goal of the Asian Heritage Street Celebration is to promote and foster Asian Pacific American identity by bringing together community and encouraging the sharing of differences and appreciation of diversity.

The event is free and open to the general public. Fair goers will also receive free general admission to the Asian Art Museum courtesy of Target.

Thai monks will perform a blessing at 10 a.m. to get the day started. A dazzling display of ethnic costume will take place at 11 a.m. during the Faces of Asia cultural procession.

This year’s AHSC promises to deliver an action-packed, in-your-face Bay Area martial arts round-up featuring students of all backgrounds. The free exhibition, organized in part by San Francisco’s World Team USA, expects hundreds of spectators for over 100 participants showcasing a range of martial arts including muay thai, san shou, kung fu, karate, jiu-jitsu, and mixed martial arts (or MMA). The exhibition is scheduled to take place from noon to 5 p.m. at Larkin and Ellis Streets.

There will also be Balut Eating Contest sponsored by the Filipino American Arts Expositions, and Filipino folk dancing.

“We are very excited to have the Asian Heritage Street Celebration in the Little Saigon Cultural & Commercial District,” says Philip Nguyen of the Southeast Asian Community Center. “We welcome this fair heartily, which will help promote not only Little Saigon, but also the whole Southeast Asian community of the Tenderloin, and of the city of San Francisco.”

The AHSC returns all proceeds to various Asian communities, including newer and underserved communities like the Hmong and Samoans, as well as more established populations. The AHSC has donated more than $60,000 to over 50 Bay Area community groups and charities, who are selected for their role in assembling diverse elements within the Asian Pacific American community.

Fundraising for San Francisco public schools is another mission of the Celebration, which has created a raffle program with the goal of teaching children about community philanthropy at an early age. The AHSC provides prizes and administrative support for students and school groups to sell raffle tickets, and all proceeds are returned to participating schools.