Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration Set for Seattle Center Festál

Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration launches Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Seattle, 12 p.m.-5 p.m., Sunday, May 3, in Seattle Center Armory, with live music and dance, youth drill teams, martial arts, drumming and Asian-Pacific artists from around the state.

The festival promises non-stop entertainment for all ages, with a different performance featured on the Armory stage every 15 minutes throughout the day. Festival-goers may sample a mix of traditional and contemporary dance styles in performances by the Filipino Youth Activities and Seattle Chinese Community Girls drill teams, Fraggle Rock Crew, Cambodian Dance Preservation Troupe of Olympia, Te'a rama Tahitian dance and the University of Washington Sigma Psi Zeta Step Dancers.

Musical highlights include Taiko drumming groups Kaze Daiko and Okinawa Kenjin-Kai, ambient-folk performer Brenda Xu, hip-hop artist Gowe, and Christian Kang and Troy Osaki's unique blend of song and spoken-word poetry.

Guests can savor the return of the annual Hum Bow Eating Contest or tour booths and displays to learn about the many art, education, health and safety organizations based within the Asian-Pacific Islander community of Seattle. The festival also invites young visitors to explore a wide range of fun arts and crafts activities.

In 2015, Seattle Center Festál explores the "art of culture" in 23 celebrations on weekends throughout the year. The events, organized by ethnic/cultural organizations in partnership with Seattle Center, make use of indoor and outdoor spaces on the grounds and offer wide-ranging entertainment, food, visual displays and exhibits and hands-on learning opportunities. The annual series forms the bedrock of public programming at Seattle Center, captivating and enlightening festival-goers as they experience the distinct cultures that influence the character and course of our broader community.

Seattle Center Festál is a program of Seattle Center Productions. Admission is free-of-charge. For more information on Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration and other Seattle Center public programming, click on www.seattlecenter.com or call (206) 684-7200.