The first-ever Coralville Asian Festival celebrates the city's Asian community through food and entertainment

A new festival will celebrate Asian culture and community through food, dance and performance this weekend.

The Coralville Asian Festival, created by four of the city’s residents, debuts during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to showcase the diversity of Asian cultures. The event also strives to remove stigmas surrounding Asian people as well as bridge the “cultural gap” within the Johnson County community, festival coordinator Omega Dancel told the Press-Citizen.

“We're just so excited to show the community that we are a good part of the community that's willing to share our knowledge and all (the) beautiful culture that we have,” she said. “We're just happy basically and we just want to celebrate it with everybody.”

Where and what time is the Coralville Asian Festival?

The festival will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at S.T. Morrison Park at 1513 Fifth St. in Coralville. The event is free to attend.

What can I do at the Coralville Asian Festival?

See performances that include traditional Chinese dances, music from University of Iowa students and a fashion show where you can see clothes from different Asian countries. The festival will also host activities including origami folding, practicing calligraphy and vendors selling clothes, jewelry or offering psychic readings.

What can I eat at the Coralville Asian Festival?

Food vendors at the Coralville Asian Festival include Yolanda’s BBQ, a longtime Iowa City area vendor serving Filipino cuisine and Poimen Bosko Foods & Catering, which is based in Swisher and also serves Filipino cuisine. Attendees can also try South Asian food from Duttas Kitchen or get Chinese food from private caterers Mama’s Kitchen.

Why was the Coralville Asian Festival created?

Dancel, who has lived in the Iowa City area for over 30 years, and the three other event coordinators for the Coralville Asian Festival — Coralville City Councilor Hai Huynh, Ming Lodh and Jennifer Nguyen — wanted to create a space where the community could experience different cultures, celebrate diversity and foster new connections.

In Coralville, 9.7% of the population are Asian, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Johnson County is one of the top five counties in Iowa where people who identify as Asian live, according to the Iowa Department of Human Rights.

Dancel said event organizers have tried to incorporate numerous Asian cultures in the festival to further erase the stigma that someone who is Asian is from China and instead show just how many different cultures and dialects can exist even within one country.

How can I learn more about the Coralville Asian Festival?

Visit Coralville Asian Festival's Facebook page for more details about performers and acitivities.

Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or 319-519-9731. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: First Asian festival debuts in Coralville with food, entertainment