The 18th Annual Asian-American Heritage Festival, kicking off a series of cultural heritage festivals in county parks, will be held on Saturday, May 30, from noon to 6 p.m., at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla.
“The various cultural heritage festivals are among the most anticipated and popular summertime events in Westchester,” stated County Executive Rob Astorino.
“Thousands of residents and visitors get the opportunity to travel the world without leaving Westchester by attending these colorful and festive celebrations held in our county parks.”
Festivities planned for the Asian-American festival include: live performances displaying the music and dance of many Asian countries (including China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Burma), Asian arts, cultural exhibits, custom cuisine and health screenings. Activities for kids include: learning the art of Chinese paper cutting, Origami, balloon sculpture and face painting.
The festival will be held rain or shine. Seating is informal; bring blankets or folding chairs for seating on the lawn. Admission and parking are free.
The festival is presented by the Westchester and Hudson Valley Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans and sponsored by Westchester County Parks, ArtsWestchester and local corporate businesses such as TD Bank and New York Life Insurance.
Save the dates for these other heritage festivals planned in the series:
• Albanian, May 31, noon to 7 p.m., Kensico Dam Plaza, Valhalla
• African-American, June 28, noon to 7 p.m., Kensico Dam Plaza, Valhalla
• Irish-American, June 28, noon to 6 p.m., Ridge Road Park, Hartsdale
• Polish, July 12, noon to 6 p.m., Kensico Dam Plaza, Valhalla
• Hispanic, July 19, noon to 7 p.m., Kensico Dam Plaza, Valhalla
• Italian, July 26, noon to 7 p.m., Kensico Dam Plaza, Valhalla
• Heritage of India, August 2, 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Kensico Dam Plaza, Valhalla
• Jewish, August 16, noon to 6 p.m., Kensico Dam Plaza, Valhalla
All festivals are sponsored by Westchester County Parks. Kensico Dam Plaza is located at the north end of the Bronx River Parkway in Valhalla.
When you go – be advised that on May 31 and June 28 the Bronx River Parkway will be closed for Bicycle Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. between Scarsdale Road in Yonkers and the Westchester County Center in White Plains. An alternate route to Kensico is via Route 22, from which the park is easily accessible either northbound or southbound in North White Plains.
For more information and directions to the parks, call (914)864-PARK or go to parks.westchestergov.com
