Asian American Festival Will Celebrate Vibrant Culture

From mouth-watering street food to live music and dance, an array of offerings will be featured during the inaugural Anne Arundel Asian American Festival in Crownsville on Sunday from 11:30am-6:00pm.

One of the festival organizers, Jeremiah Batucan, said there are plenty of reasons for attendees to get excited.

“I'm most excited to host the first annual Asian American Festival that invites food, culture, crafts and artists from several Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander countries,” Batucan said. “I'm most excited to bring food from across the DMV (Washington, D.C./Maryland/Virginia) to Annapolis so guests can experience multiple styles of food. Also, the Kirin cherry blossom beer garden and other unique Asian beers and whiskeys should be a treat.”

Guests will be treated to food from the following vendors: Namit Filipino Barbecue (Filipino), Tae-Gu Kimchi (Korean), Bun'd Up (Korean Taiwanese fusion), SeaSalt (Asian seafood), PhoWheels (Vietnamese), Ekiben (Taiwanese Ethiopian fusion) and Bmore Mochichi (Asian desserts).

Coming off the release of their new album, Arnold-based music group JAGMAC will perform. The six siblings are Polish-Filipino.

Between the music, food, crafts and martial arts demonstrations, the event will showcase a side of Asian culture that many Anne Arundel County residents may not have seen before.

“For anyone who hasn't experienced a dragon or lion dance, it will be a rare treat!” Batucan added. “We have several of them scheduled since it is the Year of the Dragon.”

The Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds will host the festival at 1450 Generals Highway in Crownsville. Tickets range from $10-$15, plus fees, and are available on eventbrite. Kids under 14 can attend for free.