Walking into the Parkway Ballroom in Plemmons Student Union, glimmering lights and vibrant florals decorated the space and tables dressed in black and purple cloths were decorated with paper lanterns, string lights and flowers. Performers practiced their dances and the sound of chatter filled the room.
The App State Asian Student Association hosted the annual Asian Fest event alongside the Chinese Culture Club, the Japanese Culture Club and the South Asian Student Association on Sunday at 6 p.m.
This year’s Asian Fest highlighted a “Flower Festival” theme, providing attendees an opportunity to experience and appreciate different Asian cultures. The event showcased a variety of cultures with flower presentations, dance performances, a fashion show, dinner, a guest speaker and interactive games.
“We want people to know how diverse our cultures actually are,” said Annaliese Maturan, the ASA secretary and a sophomore exercise science major.
The event opened with flower presentations, where each club shared images of the flowers that best represent their culture. Each group representative highlighted the uses, symbolism and cultural significance of their flowers.
To kick off the dance performances, App State’s K-Pop dance club — Kaptivate Dance Crew — performed a blend of eight upbeat numbers, each lasting under a minute, with Kaptivate members rotating throughout different routines. The audience erupted in cheers and shouted in excitement as Kaptivate moved through their routine.
“Regardless of where you come from, it’s always a fun time to come together and dance and just enjoy a performance,” said Lianne Fernandez, Kaptivate Dance Crew member and senior exercise science major.
Other performances included an Indian cultural dance by a member of the South Asian Student Association and a Tinikling performance by members of the Asian Student Association, which mimics the movements of Tinikling birds, a general term for various species of rails.
The audience’s attention then shifted to the fashion show, which showcased heritage through traditional apparel from Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Korea, Japan and India.
Fashion show participants took the stage in vivid shades of pink, green and white and an array of fabrics like silk, lace and tulle.
Ruby Park, a junior public relations major, wore a pink and white hanbok in the fashion show. A hanbok is a traditional Korean two-piece garment with a short jacket and a wrap-around skirt.
“Every time I put it on, I just feel very in tune with that side of me,” Park said.
Games were dispersed throughout the event with prizes for the winners and participants. Games included trivia relating to the Flower Festival theme, competitions featuring cultural food such as Hata and Buldak Ramen, and participating in Tinikling routines.
“It’s interesting seeing what ‘Asian’ spaces turn into, and what kind of representations they bring. So it was really nice to see a more diverse representation than I was anticipating,” said attendee Eo Wills.
Vice President of ASA and sophomore biology major Kimberly Jung anticipated a diverse audience.
“We always think about everybody who’s going to come,” Jung said. “Obviously, it’s not just going to be Asian community and we want to make sure that it’s engaging and also educational.”
Event organizers provided China Wok and Pho 777 as dinner for the evening. During the dinner period, attendees were encouraged to converse and interact with elements of the festival such as photo opportunities and the Tinikling activity.
Before the event concluded with games, Ilya Wang, co-owner of The Happy Persimmon, took the stage to speak about the Asian community in Boone.
“Happy Persimmon is only here because of you all. It is only here because of community and because of people believing in us,” Wang said. “ASA asked me to speak on the community that has come out of The Happy Persimmon. But I guess what I will leave you on is that The Happy Persimmon only came out of community. So it has been extremely reciprocal.”
The ASA meets on Wednesdays from 7-8 p.m. in Plemmons Student Union room 137C.
