The Institute of Texan Cultures prepares to take Texans on a delicious tour of the world this weekend.
Jo Ann Andera, the director of the Asian Festival, is excited at what the public will see.
"It's an incredible event, and it's an experience in color of costumes, incredible faces,” she said. “It's a great showcase of the diversity of our community."
Andera says the diversity is at the heart of what makes the Asian Festival stand out and part of what makes it relevant.
The Asian Festival is a celebration of that diversity. Groups representing dozens of Asian countries share their favorite food dishes, costumes and dancing in a day-long event spread inside and outside on the grounds of the Institute of Texan Cultures.
"We bring them all together -- and these are the Vietnamese, Laotian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean -- and they celebrate their culture and their traditions through food, through dance, and through some of the crafts that they do in a lot of the stuff that they sell," Andera said.
She said many visitors find their Festival favorites in the food booths.
"We have 21 different kinds of groups that are going to be providing probably about a 150 different items, from egg rolls to inihaw [Filipino pork shishkabob] to bim bop," she said.
Andera says parking is available at the Alamodome and area garages, but she recommends taking Uber or Lyft.
IF YOU GO
What: Asian Festival
Where: Institute of Texan Cultures
When: 10 a.m. Saturday
Cost: $12
