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Free festival returns to Grand Rapids this weekend

The festival, which is free to attend, will have performances, interactive activities and authentic food vendors.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Asian Pacific Festival returns this weekend. 

The festival, which is free to attend, runs from Friday, June 14 through Sunday, June 16 at Calder Plaza. The annual event gives residents the chance to experience the rich and diverse Asian and Pacific Islander cultures. 

On its first day, the festivities will kick off with a K-pop dance competition, a neon Glow Party highlighting Asian DJs and a lion dance performance. 

On Saturday, attendees are invited to a yoga session with Funky Buddha Yoga and enjoy entertainment from renowned Hmong artists David Yang, Chenning, Japanese DJ Kohei, Soundredd, Mc Hung Kiet, HMG group and many others. 

Performances will take over the stage with dancers, Indian performances and traditional acts representing diverse Asian cultures. 

Sunday will be family day. You can expect interactive activities, hula lessons, Haka performances and opportunities for all ages to engage in cultural exploration.

For the first time, the festival will also have Filipino-inspired craft beer by City Built Brewing, dragon fruit seltzer by The Mitten Brewing, and Zini Vodka and Founders Brewing.

"This is like a celebration of diversity and community. It's so nice to see non-Asians come out as well, because it just tells us that this is an opportunity for all of us to work together in unity because Grand Rapids is diverse. This diverse community deserves a chance to be able to be seen," said Ace Marasigan, founder and director of the festival. 

Organizers also invite visitors to dress up in traditional clothing or whatever you are comfortable with. 

The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. 

To learn more, you can go to their website here

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