Once a year, thousands of people head to the Knox Asian Festival, held at the World’s Fair Park grounds in Knoxville, Tennessee. The festival is typically in late August or early September. This year, the festival took place on Sunday, Sept. 8, on a bright cloudless day with light gusts of winds, which made the event enjoyable in the mildly warm weather amidst the sea of people soaking in all the sights.

The festival grows each year with a rising number of vendors and attendees. It was the first time an entry fee was required to enter the park. A mere $3 for attendees 12-years-old and older is well worth the price, given the extensive array of food choices, shopping booths and shows to watch.

The countries included were Japan, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Nepal and Pakistan. There are three designated areas for performances and contests; the main amphitheater, which has ample stage seating, the performance lawn and the festival lawn. The schedule for each space can be found on their website; knoxasianfestival.com.

There were more than 25 performance groups at the festival. The headliner, “Ashura Ninja Show,” is a ninja corps consisting of four ninjas from Japan. They have more than “1,200 live-action performances” under their belt and garnered a massive crowd of supporters cheering them on. Some of the other performers included a Japanese Drum group from Disney World called “Matsuriza,” a kimono show, a cosplay contest and several Korean pop (K-pop) groups. Matsuriza, the Japanese drum group, was my personal favorite. The drummers made a dance out of beating the Japanese Taiko drums rhythmically and at lightning speed.

A local attendee commented on the massive turnout, “It’s really great to see people show up and support Asian Culture in Tennessee.” And what’s the best part of an Asian festival? The food, of course! Featuring over 40 diverse food vendors, there is something to satisfy every craving. A few crowd favorites were Hey Bear Cafe, a local boba tea restaurant, and Girls Gotta Eat Good Asian Bakery, Knoxville’s first Asian bakery. The bakery serves delicious treats like ube crinkle cookies, mochi cakes and lemon rolls.

Photo of food at the Knoxville Asian Festival. (Amy Helmendach/East Tennessean)

There are so many things to do and see at the festival, there is truly something for everyone. One shop had Chinese umbrellas to keep shady while touring the festival lawn. The owner will write your name in Chinese lettering on the umbrella. The Indian section had beautiful artwork, earrings and henna tattoos for a small fee. A shop that caught my friend’s attention, an anime enthusiast, was an art booth that had perler bead art, a craft popularized in the nineties. The shop had characters from hot anime series and video games, namely Zelda, Pokémon, “Dragon Ball Z” and “My Hero Academia.”

The Philippines section had live karaoke for those brave enough to sing in front of a crowd, and “Tinikling,” a traditional folk dance that involves “beating, tapping and sliding bamboo poles on the ground” simultaneously as the dancer uses their feet to hop in and out of the poles. Many children appeared to enjoy the dance. A dear friend and colleague of mine who recently passed, Roman Carreon, was from the Philippines and loved to share his culture and food with us at work. He taught me how to say good morning in Tagalog, “Magandang umaga,” and I looked forward to seeing his cheery smile, which radiated his sunny spirit. “Paalam,” goodbye, sweet friend.

Kumi Alderman founded the Knox Asian Festival with the belief that a “festival is the best form to share the different cultures.” The popularity of the event proves its success. Its mission is “to promote diverse cultures and celebrate traditions and talents from the Asian Continent” and to “bring together people from various cultural backgrounds, to promote peace, harmony, unity and a healthy lifestyle.” The festival has helped raise awareness about different Asian cultures in east Tennessee.

While you may have missed this year’s festival, there is still time to make the Japanese Fall Festival at The Philosopher’s House in Johnson City on Friday, Sept. 27, from 6 to 8 p.m.

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