In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the Mayor’s Asian Advisory Council and the Levitt Pavilion are hosting the inaugural Asian Heritage Celebration, a free community event showcasing traditional and modern Asian cultures.
The celebration is set for Sunday, May 15 from 4-8 p.m. at Levitt Pavilion in Downtown Arlington. Event highlights include musical numbers, a dragon dance and Chinese, Hindi, Thai, Tibetan and Vietnamese dancing, and a multicultural fashion show. Guests will also enjoy demonstrations and exhibits from on-site vendors, including Japanese origami, chopsticks games, and tea tastings, as well as traditional Asian finger-food fare from on-site food trucks. Arlington Mayor Jim Ross and Dr. Teik C. Lim of the University of Texas at Arlington will kick off the celebration with opening remarks.
Event chair Marjorie Lou, a member of the Mayor’s Asian Advisory Council, said this first-ever event is designed not only to showcase Asian culture, but to increase interactions between the city’s near 30,000-strong Asian population and other Arlington community members.
“The Asian community is an important component of the fabric of Arlington, which is one of the largest culturally diverse cities in the nation,” said Lou. “But even with such a large presence, many people have had few or no interactions with the Arlington Asian community, or with Asian cultures. We’re hoping the event serve as both a cultural pride celebration and an opportunity for people outside the Asian community to gain appreciation of Asian residents’ contributions to Arlington’s economic profile and the rich diversity of our city.”
Levitt executive director Letatia Teykl said the Asian Heritage Celebration is one of a trio of first-time multicultural events the Levitt is hosting this year.
“In similar fashion to our collaboration with the Mayor’s Asian Advisory Council, we’re teaming up with the Arlington Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma and the Mayor’s Latino Advisory Council to host the Arlington Juneteenth celebration on June 18 and a Hispanic Heritage Celebration happening sometime during Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Teykl. “It’s exciting to see our venue continue to expand its tradition as a gathering space for community members from all walks of life.”
The Asian Heritage Celebration follows a weekend of free concerts at the Levitt, headlined by Nashville-based indie folk band Seryn and Grammy-nominated Latin rockers La Santa Cecilia. Learn more about both concerts and the Asian Heritage Celebration at levittarlington.org.
Downtown Arlington
News, Community, Headlines