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UTSA honors Asian cultures at 32nd annual Asian Festival

UTSA honors Asian cultures at 32nd annual Asian Festival

(Feb. 4, 2019) -- The UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC) will celebrate the Chinese New Year and the many Asian cultures that have become a part of the state’s identity during the 32nd annual Asian Festival, Saturday, Feb. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the ITC on the UTSA Hemisfair Campus. The 2019 festival, a UTSA 50th anniversary signature event, opens with the thunder of firecrackers and drums, as Lion Dancers frighten away evil spirits, and bring good fortune for the year ahead.

While the festival began as a Chinese New Year celebration, over time, other Asian communities joined the festivities, making the event a true showcase of the Asian continent, from China, to Korea, Japan, the South China Sea, the Indian sub-continent, and the island nations of the Pacific.

                        >> Purchase tickets to the 2019 Asian Festival.

Entertainment includes two stages for music and dance, a martial arts demonstration area, a gallery featuring bonsai and ikebana flower arrangements, a room of animé showings and activities, a mah-jong table, dozens of vendors with Asian crafts and décor, and a variety of authentic Asian foods.

“This year, we’re so glad to have Miber Grill joining us, bringing their Vietnamese favorites to the festival,” said festival director Jo Ann Andera. “The day will be a great opportunity to get to know our Asian neighbors and celebrate their heritage and traditions.”

>> View the 2019 Asian Festival Visitors Guide.

Also joining the festival this year, the Japanese community has called on the Sumo steakhouse to prepare Akaushi steak and other favorites; Newa Paper Boutique will join the vendors on the veranda selling their Indonesian crafts; and the San Antonio Bead Society will show, teach and sell at their vendor station.

“The festival is a fantastic demonstration of the institute’s mission,” said Andera. “It gives many of our Asian communities a voice and gives festival-goers an opportunity to experience these traditions firsthand. In the 30-plus years the city has celebrated this festival, we know it’s not just a Asian community celebration – it’s an all-San Antonio celebration. It’s part of who we are.”

Festival tickets are available online, at the institute’s museum store, or at the gate on event day. VIA will reroute Primo route 100 (Fredericksburg Road) and Viva Centro 301 to the gate at Tower of the Americas Way. Limited parking is available near the institute. Festival organizers recommend ride share, carpool or public transportation.

James Benavides


For more information, call 210-458-2300 or visit TexanCultures.com.

Celebrate UTSA’s 50th Anniversary and share social media posts about the 50th using the hashtag #UTSA50.

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UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.


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UTSA’s Mission

The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.

UTSA’s Vision

To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA’s Core Values

We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.

UTSA’S Destinations

UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .

Our Commitment to Inclusivity

The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.