A member of the Hula Halau Ohana Elikapeka Hawaiian dance group
demonstrates her skill. At right, Monica Saucedo rides her 10-year-old
quarter horse Princess, bedecked in Filipino finery. Monica is
accompanied by her father, Tony. They appeared in a preview of the
ITC's Asian New Year Festival.
Institute of Texan Cultures hosts Asian New Year Festival
(Feb. 13, 2002)--The Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC), a component of the UTSA Tri-Campuses, will celebrate the Year of the Horse at the 15th Annual Asian New Year Festival from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, February 16, at ITC.
The festival was created 15 years ago to promote understanding and appreciation of the arts and cultures of Asian countries and Asian people in San Antonio and South Texas. A celebration of pageantry, dance, native crafts, demonstrations, cuisine, live music, fortune-telling, children's activities and much more will represent cultures of China, Hawaii/Polynesia, Pakistan, India/Asia, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Taiwan.
The Year of the Horse represents high energy and high activity, and the Asian New Year Festival has both. Hands-on activities will be available for visitors of all ages, including Japanese calligraphy, origami art, wood block printing, flower arranging, tea ceremonies and sumie painting; Hawaiian name writing, lei and hula skirt making and shirt origami; Chinese writing and knot tying, paper folding, yo-yo demonstrations and mahjong; Vietnamese fortune-telling; Taiwanese cultural and economic displays; Bonsai displays; Indian/Asian palm reading, henna and rangli; Indonesian arts and crafts; Filipino artifact displays; and Korean fashion shows.
Hungry after all of the activities? One of the most popular features of the Asian New Year Festival is the menu. This year's cuisine includes Chinese egg rolls, fried rice, wontons, shrimp chips, fortune cookies, hot tea, teriyaki chicken, chicken wings, pot sticks, chicken fried noodles, jasmine tea and crabmeat rangoons; Japanese yakisoba, gyudon and barley tea; Thai chicken kabobs, fried bananas and egg rolls; Filipino pancit, adobo, lumpia and rice; Hawaiian salmon, huli huli chicken bento, li hing mui and tropical sundaes; Pakistani chicken curry with rice, pakanos, rice pudding, kabob rolls and baklava; Korean bulkoki-bob-kimchee fortune cookies; and Indonesian gha gio (spring roll) and lemon grass tea.
Dance performances are scheduled throughout the day, including traditional and folk dances of Jones Korean Dance Group, Karilagan Philippine Cultural Group, Natyanjali Center for Performing Arts, Hula Halau Ohana Elikapeka, India/Asian Association, Matsuri Japanese Dancers, Okinawan Dance Group, Pua Mana Dancers and San Antonio Lion Dance Association.
There will be martial arts demonstrations by Body Awareness Concepts, Bodymind Centered Therapies, Budo Ryu, Chen Style Taiji of San Antonio, Fighting Spirit, Kuk Sool Won Martial Arts, Phongsavane Sinlapa Muay and Texas Tang Soo Do San Antonio.
Admission to the 15th Annual Asian New Year Festival is free for UTSA students and employees with UTSA I.D. and children 2 and younger, otherwise, $5 for adults, $2 for children (3-12), and $3 for seniors (65+) and military (with I.D.).
ITC, one of the three campuses of the University of Texas at San Antonio, is an educational center concerned with the history and diverse cultures of Texas. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., ITC is located in downtown San Antonio.
For more information call (210) 458-2300 or visit the Institute of Texan Cultures Web site.
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Institute of Texan Cultures hosts Asian New Year Festival
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© The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2001