Hum Bow Eating Contest in 2017 (Photo by John Liu)
SEATTLE — Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration kicks off at the Seattle Center Armory on May 1—the first day of National Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.
Following last year’s virtual festival, this year features five hours full of programming, including the always popular Alan Sugiyama Hum Bow Eating Contest, dance groups, martial arts, music, and more.
“The Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration is an event dedicated to celebrating the unique and distinct AAPI cultures and communities that help make Seattle special,” said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.
The program begins at noon with the International Lion Dance Team and opening remarks, and wraps up with Kaze Daiko Taiko and closing remarks. In between, MiYoung Margolis Dance Collective, Huayin Performing Arts Group, Halau Hula Ka Lei Mokihana | Ka Ua Noe, UWFASA Sayaw, Nikhil Bagga Band, Wu Shu Martial Arts, UW Vietnamese Student Association Dance Troupe, Live2Dance Seattle, and The Kompany will perform on stage.
The Hum Bow Eating Contest will begin at 2 p.m., featuring chefs from nine local restaurants and bakeries. Cultural performance videos will also be shown, and local author Cindy Wong-Li will do a children’s book reading of her book, Starhug.
More information is available at apiheritage.com.