I've always enjoyed the Asian Festival. It's held during Memorial Day weekend in Franklin Park. It's a great opportunity to celebrate the diverse Asian communities of Columbus. There are live performances, vendors, and food. My problem with the festival when I attended in May 2023 is that attendance has really grown, but vendors and space haven't. The lines for food were crazy long. Everywhere we walked, it just felt very overcrowded. Maybe it's time to consider a new venue and a way to entice more vendors to participate. read more

Asian Festival - Asian Festival 2023 - Festivals Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Always have a blast at the Asian Festival. Good food, entertainment, and we spend hours exploring each year. We like to grab some food and grab a seat on the grass in the park and enjoy some food. We have been attending for well over 10 years, only time we have missed was when it was cancelled during Covid. I would absolutely recommend and it so educational to see the different countries, heritage, art, and cultures represented. read more

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This was our first time visiting the Asian Festival, and overall it was OK. The website was hard to navigate, but eventually you could find some useful information (especially about parking). They had several lots available to park in at no charge with shuttles to take you to and from the festival. There was a bit of a wait for the shuttle on the return, though, but not too bad. The festival overall had a somewhat haphazard, disorganized ambiance. There was a pretty large outdoor area with assorted vendors including some very non-Asian vendors (State Farm) and marginally Asian (Acura, Honda). I thought there would be more cute Asian merchandise, crafts, etc. to buy, but there didn't seem to be much in this regard (unless we missed it). They had a lot of booths with kid-oriented things, and inside there were some cultural displays and a small stage for cultural performances. There was a very large outdoor food court of sorts with a whole variety of food and beverages. We tried two of the egg rolls from a specialty egg roll company (I forget the name). They were $5 each and mostly stuffed with cabbage rather than meat. Not terrible but not worth $5. The Vietnamese iced coffee from a different vendor was also pretty good, but very overpriced for $5 as well for about a Starbucks grande size. They had a large outdoor stage with continuous performances, but it was just too hot and humid to sit and watch them. Overall not a bad experience but far from amazing; maybe they could plan it about a month earlier, though, before the weather gets so hot and humid. read more

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*Actual Asian review here* As an Asian person, it makes me happy that the Asian Festival is such a big event in Columbus, but it is overall underwhelming and not really made for Asian people. Walking through the stalls, it felt more like a high school international fair than an actual celebration. Stalls signifying different countries would post and explain very basic facts about their country, and provide activities like transcribing your name into x language or face paint, which I find kind of problematic. I think it's great for non-Asian kids to learn the very basics of different cultures and get exposed to them, but don't expect very authentic experiences or food if you're Asian or educated on Asian cultures at all. The one great resource they had for Asian people was in an indoor facility. There's a free health screening booth and various educational booths, especially catered toward immigrants and those without healthcare. I was very glad to see these resources here, although they're only available earlier in the day. It's not completely the festival's fault, but I hated how much it felt like an excuse to culturally appropriate, whether that was non-Asian people showing up in culturally appropriated clothing or even buying this clothing from some of the vendors. The vendors definitely should have been limited and selected more intentionally. Whereas some were authentic and truly worthwhile - such as handmade ethnic jewelry or fans - some of them had cheap AliExpress, vaguely "Asian" themed items. Some just had anime items. (I love anime, but this obviously is not an accurate way to represent or showcase Asians or the Asian diaspora.) It was actually appalling the amount of white people I saw purchasing and wearing rice farmer hats just as a gag. I don't really understand what other purpose they would have been sold for here. Gave similar vibes to the people waiting in line for Thai food, gagging over the thought of the octopus on the menu. Lastly, the food vendors. My partner and I (both Asian) were sorely disappointed by this section. At least 3 different food trucks offered almost an identical selection of AMERICAN "Asian" food, such as lo mein. There were 2-3 Thai stalls with only one offering what I consider Americanized food. Several Americanized Chinese food stalls. Having AN option of each makes sense to me at a festival expecting mostly non-Asian people, but it's as if the organizers did not care for there to be authentic food at all or to avoid repetition. There are so many incredible, authentic, Asian-owned restaurants in Columbus (check my reviews!), but I saw none of them represented and very very little diversity in the food. This would have been such a great opportunity to showcase these businesses and foods, while exposing the audience to actual culture... but for the most part, they dropped the ball. Ultimately, I don't write this to detract from or attack an Asian-run event aiming to promote education and cultural awareness. I aim to give constructive feedback and offer the organizers as well as non-Asian attendees a different mindset when approaching an event like this. It has a lot of potential, and I hope to see it grow, prosper, and evolve into something that serves all communities, including Asian ones, and represent our cultures respectfully and intentionally. Ingat! read more

I've always love going to to Asian festival so much wonderful food. This year i notice that security was more enforced. I also enjoy the shows and to learn about the Asian culture. My Wife love to shop at the market place and find lots of those hidden gems. I think the food prices are reasonable especially egg rolls, crab rangoon, the beverages. My wife loved the strawberry lemonade it was nice and refreshing on a hot summer day. My favorite was the lumpia which we found at a Philippine vendor. Looking forward to next year where I think I'll be a little more adventurous and try different foods. read more

I'm so underwhelmed. This is the second time we have come to the Asian Festival and neither time left us with much of a positive impression. It's hot. It's crowded. Steamed buns are $8 each. Bahn mi is $10. Lines are really long. It's set up awkwardly. Parking is a pain. Franklin Park is really pretty. I'd rather get some Chinese Beef Noodle soup and come for my own picnic than visit this lackluster "festival". read more

My first time attending a major festival here in Columbus, and it was one of apprehension, excitement and amusement. I didn't know what to really expect from the Asian Festival. Funny enough, when I first heard the name being tossed around, I was irked by it. I was born and raised in California, and had lived in Asia for some time. I'm not sure if a clumping of Asian cultures into one festival would be as well received in those areas! It encompasses over half the world's population so I struggle to see how one festival can truly reflect that diversity and history. Nonetheless, having been a festival lasting 20 years that aims to showcase the rich diverse cultures of Asian civilizations, I wondered if its intent has shifted at all since its conception. Overall as a festival, it gets the job done. There are plenty of cultural performances, a space where you can learn about immigration patterns of Asian Americans into Columbus (and this I loved!), as well as plenty of food! It may be my programming senses tingling from my background working with students on college campuses, but the festival itself seems to play on simply food and cultural dance to represent the ethnic diversity among Asians. I did however appreciate the fact that there was a good mix of food, with some being better than others... ie the Indonesian Rendang was not bad, but how did the Okinawa booth not serve Okinawan cuisine? I digress. I'd like to see this festival expand and change up its programming a bit. Aside from simply presenting itself as an introduction to Asian cultures, perhaps detail more of current struggles of Asian Americans or invite community organizations around Columbus and the Midwest that work with these populations to come and educate the community. Asian culture is more than just food and dance, and I would love to see new steps be taken to strengthen and grow Columbus as a whole. It's a family fun event, but let's take it a little bit further next year. read more

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A celebration of all things Asian takes place over Memorial Day weekend on the beautiful grounds of the Franklin Park Conservatory . More than 15 different countries and cultures are represented, including Bengalis, Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Lao, Malays, Singaporean, Pakistan, Filipino, Thais and Vietnamese. The Marketplace is a little underwhelming with vendors selling chatzkes that you can find at any Pier One Imports or bargain store, though some stalls do offer original services or information about different Asian groups and organizations. The entertainment schedule is impressive. It's loaded with dancers, actors, singers, drummers, choruses and martial arts groups performing on a few different stages and an outdoor amphiteater throughout the day and evening. I was mesmerized by the costumes and really enjoyed seeing traditional dances from Cambodia, Burma and Japan, and particularly enjoyed the Bhuddist chanting. The "food court" area offers the whole gamut of Asian food- which, in and of itself, makes attending the festival totally worth while! Local Asian resturants set up stalls and serve up some of their best sellers. Tables are strewn around the stages & park, but most folks just plop down in the grass and enjoy their food picnic style. Across the board, I enjoyed the Asian Festival but was partially annoyed with the effort it took to get there in terms of parking and shuttling. Other than that, it was worth the effort. Especially since it is a free festival and family-friendly. It's a great experience to be exposed to other, perhaps unfamiliar cultures. I will definitely go again, but with slightly different expectations. read more

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A bit disappointing to be honest. I was looking forward to going to the Asian festival , but really nothing was really good -- the shops were okay, not to my taste anyway, and the food was pretty ordinary. Basically, most of the food tents had some version of bbq chicken on skewers and some noodle dishes, etc. I was initially excited that they had coconut water and sugarcane juice, but both were big disappointments. The sugarcane was artificially sweetened and tasted like it had gone bad, and the coconut water was not sweet at all. The saving grace was that some of the cultural events (music and dance) were performed by kids, and that was nice to watch. read more

Holy moly, what fantastic weather for this Fest. This was my first time at AF. So many things going for it! First off, I enjoyed this afternoon way more having this festival being held at Franklin Park (as opposed to Goodale Park). Lots more space to spread out. Tons more shade - with the cool breeze going and bright blue sky, couldn't have asked for better weather. A friend and I headed straight for the food vendors first. After taking stalk of all the offerings, I decided on a Philippine dish of Lechon Kawali: Fried Pork and noodles. I wish to the 'inth degree this vender had a restaurant, or even a food truck at least. The cooked pork belly was pure perfection. Cooked to a slightly crisp outside; soft and chewy meat. 100% scrumptious flavor!! The noodle side dish (that came with the combo) was also great. Not overly seasoned. A perfect ying to yang. I was dying to try a few more dishes from other venders but I was quite full, and time wouldn't permit that plan. I definitely will be back next year!! read more

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The annual Asian Festival is quite sizable and offers a variety of activities, performances, and, of course, plenty of good eats! Located in beautiful Franklin Park, it is enjoyable to stroll through the area and checking everything out. The event is always popular and draws quite the crowd. Performances occur on several different stages and includes dancing, martial arts, singing and more. There are also displays that highlight the various Asian countries, which is a nice touch, since "Asia" is a big area to all be all put together in one festival like this. Parking is offered in a number of lots around the surrounding area, with free shuttles from several of them - check their website for details. read more

I always think of the Asian Festival as the kick-off for a summer of outdoor eating in Columbus. Followed by the Jazz & Rib Fest, Festival Latino, and as many taco trucks as you can hit before the weather turns cold. But I digress... The food court is a bit of a hit-or-miss affair, with the usual Americanized Asian food, but there are always a few great vendors to be found if you know what you're looking for. There are always a couple stands selling Filipino food, plus the local Chinese Buddhist temple has a stand selling vegetarian food, some of which is hard to come by otherwise. The first few years we went you could always count on a Laotian vendor, which was nice, as there aren't any Laotian restaurants in Columbus (although Indochine Cafe has the occassional off-the-menu Laotian special). Last year the Laotians were missing, but there was a good Thai vendor. So we'll see what this year holds. For us, it's a matter of buying as much food as we can carry, finding a shady spot facing the auditorium, and watching whatever performance happens to be on. Some are pretty good, and even the mediocre ones remind me of growing up elsewhere. Mayor Coleman and his entourage usually show up to shake hands, the white kids in the kung-fu troupes do lion dances, the Asian kids do hip hop, and people of every color show up to eat the food and enjoy the inevitably hot, humid weather. Kind of makes me like living in Columbus. read more

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I love going to the Asian festival.... you can shop, get henna, eat, and watch a show(s). I agree with other Yelpers in the fact that security could be a little beefier. There are several younger people who are interesting in causing a scene, and get into fights... which often ruins it for other people. I am glad that they still have it, and that I can go and have great food, and a great time. read more

This is a great (and free!!!) event that showcases the art, food, dances, and culture of nations from East, Central, and Southeast Asia. Musicians, performers, and martial artists from around the area (and even around the world) come to perform on the variety of stages over the course of a weekend. Because they are all happening simultaneously, though, it's really a good idea to come both days. After all, both admission and parking are free! Aside from some fantastic performances, the festival also has a variety of vendors selling typical Asian trinkets, paintings, personalized calligraphy, toys, and even reflexology/ear cleaning/mystic readings. There's also a big health fair, though that's geared more towards offering a service to Asians in the community. I would have felt a little uncomfortable trying to use those services as a white lady. One hall also has a a table for the different cultures represented, typically showing off some of the handicrafts, instruments, clothes, and\or travel brochures of the nation. Finally, there is an extensive food court. Sure, you can get the typical fair food (bourbon chicken), but there are so many cool things to choose! This last year, my favorite was the stand run by local Filipino ladies serving up the most delicious menudo and adobo I've ever had! And that coconut-honey thing... mmm!! The best thing though is definitely the performances. Some are a bit amateurish to be sure, but there are also some world-class dancers, singers, and musicians. One of the highlights is the Bhangra dancers, Nachda Punjab, who encourage audience participation (and give away CDs to the best dancers. You can also get your pictures taken with them). Other favorite performances from this year were Indian dancer Ami Majmudar, Japanese guitarist Shohei Toyoda, and the Filipino Fiesta dancers. Now, I do have a few complaints. One is that there is a stage that is in the same hall as the health fair and the cultural exhibits. Although I appreciate that this hall is the only one out of the sun and in the air conditioning (very important considering how sun burnt I got sitting outside in the amphitheater!), it can also be difficult to hear the performers when there are wailing children echoing across the walls or bashing away on the musical instruments displayed. It's not a huge problem to be sure, but it is a little distracting. The other issue I had occurred on the last day of the festival when the events got off schedule. A performer might run late or not show, so everything would be screwed up. Perfectly understandable, but I ended up missing a few performances because I was trying to run back and forth from stage to stage and didn't realize that the line-up had been changed. Overall, though, I had a fantastic time both days I went, and have every intention of going again the coming year! Hope the Bhangra dancers are back. They are ridiculously fun. read more

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Where else can you see dancing, singing, and other forms of traditional Asian entertainment all day? That was the best part, and a reason to go. However, the food was kind of disappointing and of American-Asian-buffet quality. Lots of typical items like lo mein and fried stuff on sticks. Food lines were long, and being it was a hot day, not exactly fun. The bathroom situation didn't really meet the demands of the crowd either. Porta potty between eating shrimp skewers...eh..sinks are nice sometimes. Actually, sinks are great all of the time. I believe there is a bathroom located in the adventure stage building but the line was so long I never saw it. Overall: Pros: - entertainment - cheap Asian trinkets like stickers of fat cuddly panda bears expressing various emotions - option to sit under trees and eat fried things in the shade Cons: - crowded as F - not enough bathrooms - nothing too exciting food-wise - parking could be a challenge Would I go to this again? Yes, I think I would, because despite it all, it was a unique cultural experience and not something you can see everyday. However, I probably would wait til late afternoon on the last day to avoid some of the crowd, but still have time to catch some of the celebration. read more

Went to the Asian festival in June 2019. It was unbearably hot and crowded. It was really difficult to navigate the entire festival, and I thought there would be more food vendors than were present. We had to find street parking in a neighborhood nearby and walk. One pass through and it was enough. We stopped just long enough to see part of a show and then decided to leave. Not sure if this will be in the plans this year. read more

I really enjoy the Asian Festival. (Though I miss the days when I could just walk a block from where I lived to get there . . . ). There are booths representing many Asian countries and they're happy to tell you about where they're from--we learned this past time about a Filipino board game when we popped into the tent for the Philippines. I kind of wish we had a place where people just gathered to play board games outside and sip coffee. Is there such a place in Columbus? Please send me a message if you know of such a place. One of the biggest draws is obviously the food. THE FOOD. IT IS SO GOOD. I had halo-halo for the first time, a Filipino dessert with shaved ice, evaporated milk, and various sweet bits like candied purple yams, jellies, and flan. The same booth also had adobo chicken, ribs, and other meats that smelled off. the. chain. (Or that could have been the Yakitori place right next to it that smelled so good. Or both. Everything smelled great.) The website always has a long list of performances and events going on. You can see dancers and demonstrations. Lots of vendors, too, though I was occasionally confused to see tents being run by white dudes (one booth was being run by white dudes + they were selling shirts with ripped-off artwork that I've seen elsewhere; once we realized those things, they lost a sale). I'd rather only support Asian-run businesses at the Asian Fest. read more

What a disgrace. Somebody in charge of this event created a miserable experience for my son and I, and thousands of other people, and traumatized my little boy, all for something asinine. I am absolutely disgusted and have lost all respect for this event and the people behind it. I promise I will never go to or support it again. About an hour and a half before before it closed for the day on Saturday, two dumb asses got into a fight. A half hour later, some self important blowhard gets on the loudspeaker and announces that because of the actions of two people, all the thousands of people there are to be punished. They shut down the festival and ordered everyone to leave immediately. We all had to drop what we were doing in the middle of enjoying ourselves at this festival and evacuate all because two people out of thousands lost their tempers for a minute. Two people that the thousands of us will never meet and whose actions had nothing to do with us. What is the big deal? It happens. Especially on a hot day. When you have thousands of people in one place, odds are people are going to run into other people they don't like. The fight gets broken up, people get arrested, and it's over. Get over it. Everyone pretty much ignored the announcement with an unspoken "fuck you, don't be ridiculous." So a little while later, somebody else gets on the loudspeaker and announces that everyone will be arrested if they don't leave the park immediately. Within two minutes we started seeing swarms of cops on golf carts and on foot yelling at everyone to leave. I saw some with big spray cans of pepper spray. We were being dispersed like a crowd of protesters at an anti war protest in the Vietnam era. All for a stupid, insignificant little event that had nothing to do with any of us. So once the police started running us out like a bunch of anti government trouble makers, we all collectively realized this was for real. So, I had stop eating my meal and start the long trek in the hot son with three styrofoam food containers, two drinks, and a scared 6 year old son. He was scared now because of what the idiot in charge did. Not because of a fight he didn't even know occurred far away from us. I had been holding his hand the whole time so he didn't get lost in the crowd. Now I couldn't really do that so it was a little bit of a nervous hike carrying all this stuff and making sure he stayed where I could see him and keeping him from getting scared. You have to park literally miles up the road and take a shuttle bus to the festival. Well the shuttle buses, as far as I can tell, stopped running when the mass exodus occurred. I couldn't find any of the signs that indicated a bus stop, nor did I see any buses. With everyone leaving at once, it was impossible to tell where any sort of a line was forming. So I decided to start walking back toward the car. I just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible before there was trouble. But we walked and walked forever and still had barely made any progress. The park where the car was parked was still so far down the road I couldn't see it. We were exhausted from all that walking into the festival and around it, then probably a mile or more to that point in trying to get back to the car. We were dehydrated because there are no water fountains and you certainly couldn't buy anything to drink. Then I saw a shuttle bus go by with hardly anyone on it. We tried to flag it down but it kept going. Then we saw another one going back toward the festival. So I decided to backtrack and try to get on a bus. We ended up backtracking as far back as we had gone, all the way back to our starting point and beyond only to find out the buses stopped running. They were supposed to run until 9 but they had stopped early because the festival had been cancelled. So we had to start the long, arduous walk miles through the heat and the now swarming mosquitoes drawn to our sweat and increased body temperature and blood flow. We were so exhausted and dehydrated we could barely walk but we had to. My poor son by now was completely upset, thinking we were lost and yelling for help. I told him to stop that though because you shouldn't be yelling for help because you're tired of walking. But that indicates how traumatized he was. So we kept walking. I told him to just keep moving, just keep pushing on because that's the only way we'll make it. When you're that exhausted, if you stop, you'll never get the energy to get going again. You just have to keep moving until you get there. So by this time I was soaked in sweat and had a brown smear down my side where one of the food containers had leaked all over my shirt. We probably looked ready to collapse. My son probably looked scared. Finally, mercifully, a police officer rescued us. Sgt Grimm drove us back to the car. For that I am grateful and I commend him. read more

Yikes! This place is scary! My wife and I went to this festival for two years, then never again. The problem, unfortunately, is the location. It is way too crowded with gangs of youth roaming around, getting into fights, etc. The last time we were there we were walking to our car when a group of youths heckled us. We had left just in time, before there was a gang shooting at the festival. It's just not a very amiable experience. Note to festival organizers: Relocate! read more

First time attending.. It was a fun event.The food was delicious. There was a Healthy Gourmet Vegetable spot that had Bamboo rice that was to die for. Lots of vegan/vegetarian noodles, pad thai, lo mein! If you are vegan you want to ask if they put animal products in because some vegetarian looking dishes had ground beef/chicken that you can't see. The bubble tea was made with non-diary creamer so that was good. I only watched the evening performances and the finale by the Punjab people was such an amazing close to the eventful weekend. Can't wait to go next year! Some negatives: some people think it is cool to smoke in a family friendly event.... NO! Also, unfortunately there were some youngster disturbing the peace by starting fights. But that's okay, the police handled it with finesse. read more

Apparently shots rang out across the street from the festival earlier tonight, prompting it to shut down early. That's too bad, because by the time I'd arrived, all the performances had ceased and everyone was packing up for the night. I was able to get the last of much of the food for cheaper, though! So the chicken adobo, lumpia, and Thai bubble tea I got were all discounted--and delicious at that. Also, Pinoy/Pinay represent! Now, as I entered the park despite not knowing why people were streaming *out* of the festival, I noticed several people scurrying out of the way of what apparently was a fight that had broken out between two young people, one of Asian descent and the other of African descent. The former was yelling racial epithets at the latter and getting his face socked in as a result. :-( And the Asian kid had a friend with blood streaming from his nose--I mean, really? Of course, then, such violent images have affected my view of the festival somewhat, although if I weren't too busy for the festival's second day then I'd consider going again, but patrons of the event really need to mind themselves, be they of the "host culture" or not. read more

Good until it gets late and the hoodlums come out I have been to the Asian festival 3 times. The previous two times I've gone was later in the evening. The atmosphere was tense and there was fighting between some of the younger attendants. They even ended the event early last year because of all the fighting. This year I went earlier in the afternoon and all was peaceful. We saw a lot of the exhibits and even saw a performance on the main stage. The lines for food vendors were still very long though. I did hear that later in the evening at this year's festival there was fighting AGAIN so I was glad I went early. It is truly sad that hoodlums spoil this event that could be special for all that attend. I think something needs to be done to keep that element at bay be it charging an admission fee or beefing up security. Maybe changing the venue would help. Not sure but I hope they figure out something read more

Sunday morning we showed up around 10 am when the event opens for the day. Parking was free and just a couple blocks down the street at the park. Kids enjoyed the face painting and activity booth. We hit the food court up around 11:30 and the lines weren't very long. I enjoyed several items from Siem Reap's booth and a Filipino booth. There are numerous martial arts, singing, dancing, and instrumental performances. This is a free event other than what you eat and any items you purchase from their marketplace. It's a great way to get out of the house and expose the family to other cultures. read more

I have been involved the Asian Festival for 20 years and we get larger every year. We are expecting a fantastic festival this year. Please come and visit the Asian Festival at Franklin Park on May 23 and 24, 2015. We have FREE entertainment, including martial arts, cultural performances and much more. You can experience Asian Culture in Columbus and sample delicious Asian Food. C you there. read more

This is one of the better festivals I have been to and here is why: the awesome location! It was great that we could grab some food then head over to a little hillside and sit under the shade of the trees to enjoy our food without sweating to death under the hot sun. It was also great that they had so many talented performers showcasing their culture through dance and martial arts. The food at festivals is always pricey, and of course crowds of people to meander through, but It was a peaceful enjoyable time with friends nonetheless. read more

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This review is a how-to, where-to for anyone who hasn't been to the Asian Festival or who isn't sure what they might like here. 1. Parking. Skip the slow & painful process of finding parking on-site and head down Woodland or Auburn, both about a block away. There is also plenty of parking a block north, along Long. (No, I'm not telling you about my secret spot.) 2. Bring the kids! It's family-friendly, with lots of demonstrations, room to move and play, and the TMNT were walking around and taking photographs today. 3. Best time to come is Sunday lunch-time. Or anytime, really. Even if it is hot, there is plenty of shade. The food lines are shorter on Sunday - necessary if you are unsure of what you really want, you can walk close to the booths and check the various menus/lists/random pieces of paper with the food offerings. 4. FOOD OMG. You are missing out if you do not get the stuffed chicken wings and papaya salad from the Siem Reap booth! SERIOUSLY. We also had a red curry noodle soup at a booth that was awesome (which was not on the posted menu, but there was a small sign. Glad we saw it.) Most of the food on offer is mild, not spicy. Also, skip the shaved ice and go for the HALO-HALO. Only the booth on the northeast corner has it. 5. There are lots of demonstrations and shows/programming for martial arts, dancing, henna/body art, painting, etc. Each Asian country has a display with history, anthropology, culture, art as well as information about the local community in Columbus. Interesting given the sheer number of countries represented. 6. Possibly the only marketplace where you can buy cheap Asian goods and be supporting the local community. (Kidding. Kind of.) 7. Enjoy the park and conservatory grounds. Even when the fest is crowded and busy, there is room to spread out and relax. Some of the best free fun to start the summer. read more

Anything that celebrates culture and diversity is a plus in my book - just wish everyone could be on board with culture and diversity. We've been to the Asian festival every year for the past few years - this year we brought the little guy with us - our five month old was FASCINATED by everything he saw (Probably would have been fascinated without the festival, but hey... who knows?) and we all had a good time. Enjoyed some Filipino food and Indonesian sports and some wooden board breaking. :-) It's well organized, just wish the lines for food weren't so long, but hey, which festival doesn't have long food lines? read more

First thing is parking. It is always bad and very unorganized near the festival plus always taken up so most likely you'll be walking a little from your car and even more when you get to the festival but I'm usually getting dropped off anyways lol Kids are always welcome but make sure you have a close eye on them or they'll be gone in the crowd and be careful of the annoying preteens that horse play. : / I usually come on Saturday during early morning or late day since more stuff happens but I suggest going on Sunday if you wanna be around less people/crowd. FOOD! Big portions for cheap. I usually only get rice since I was a vegetarian at the time but I love the bubble tea and this cool tropical fruity drink lol B) There are lots of performances; like martial arts and dancing mainly. They also usually have facts and info on each Asian country in random areas; I also love when they have all the Asian countries come together and walk around the festival. They also have booths where you can buy things from different Asian countries. Some booths can be pricey so make sure you look at most booths before deciding on what to get in case it's cheaper somewhere else. A henna tattoo is also always a must! It's always nice to have blanket/chair for the grass, bring groups of friends/family makes it more fun and some water/snacks if you don't wanna buy food. read more

I wasn't really sure what to expect from Ohio's Asian Festival, having grown up in central California and attending the Pacific Rim Festival there. I looked up the parking situation before heading over, and the boy and I ended up parking at Wolfe Park, which if you can find a spot, is great. However, Ohioans really need to learn how to park in order to best utilize the space. The lines in the lot are so faded that people park haphazardly and with huge six foot gaps between their cars; the cop languidly hanging out in his car made no effort to help direct traffic or encourage appropriate parking habits. Once in the park, there weren't any signs or maps directing us. Fortunately it was a nice day so wandering around until we found the tents and stages wasn't too much of a problem. There were musical performances and dances and martial art demonstrations happening throughout all throughout the day -- a schedule was posted near one of the stages. Some folks had what looked like festival booklets with lists of vendors and events, but we never found where those were being distributed. The Marketplace did have some cool things like bonsai trees, houseplants, artwork, and traditional clothing, although Shawnie is right when she mentions the random knick-knacks and souvenir-type items (although to give them credit, I bet they are made in China -- and yes, many stores in Chinatowns in cities like NYC and San Francisco peddle similar things). There was an indoor area where each country had a table to showcase some of their history, contributions, and other notable things. It was pretty crowded in there, and the poorly compressed music from the indoor stage caused us to leave quickly. The food court was fun, although pricy ($10 for cold noodles, $5 for boba). I was a little surprised that there wasn't much in the way of Cantonese food, dimsum, baked baos; however, there was a wide array of other countries which I suppose makes sense for Columbus. There were a number of stands with barbecues and grilled meats were a top seller. I was a little concerned about the safety of some of the foods though, since everything was either held in trays over lit (or unlit) chafing dishes, and the cold items may or may not have been held over ice or in insulated bins. There were also a couple of stands where the workers could not have looked less thrilled to be there (although they were probably teenage kids of the family). As expected, there were quite a lot of people from diverse Asian backgrounds present as well as the ubiquitous white Ohioans, I was pleasantly surprised to see a large number of Hispanic, African-American, and other non-white families in attendance. Overall, the attendees seemed to reflect a much more balanced and accurate picture of the American population. Still, it does make you wonder a little, would a European Festival be as popular and well-attended? An African Festival? A South American Festival? An Australian Festival? What is it about Asia that makes it seemly acceptable to lump all those countries together, organize a festival, and call it a cultural experience? And, having been to it, do people now feel like they have a better understanding and empathy with the people of South Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, India, etc., or does it only serve to increase the "exoticness" of foreign cultures? read more

What a fun time! Lots of different foods, desserts and drinks. Plenty of activities going on, shows, live performances, and little shops. Thank God there's plenty of shade available, because it gets hot standing in a line of 30 people waiting to order food. I only gave it 4 stars because parking is a complete joke (just try to get there earlier and pay $5 to park in a lot. It's not worth it driving around for 30 minutes looking for a spot. You're not in the safest area, either.) AND because they need to space everything out. There was thousands of people here, and it's just cramped. I don't mind waiting in line, but 20 to 30 minutes for food is crappy when 1.) it's hot and the sun is beating on you (no shade by food carts) and 2.) since every single food line is 30 people deep, lines start intertwining and people start getting confused. A few times, you could barely move because there's so many people in the food area. All in all, this is a fun place, though. The people are friendly and the food was delicious. Definitely try the coconut sticky rice, halo-halo, stuffed chicken wings, bubble tea, sesame rolls with munk fish and the red chicken. read more

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Had Bourbon Childen, it was full of salt and could taste NO bourbon. Fried rice was tasteless too. Had good entertainment on the main pavilion. Food was so disappointing, o wont be back read more

We have been going to this festival for a few years and we just love it. It's literally the best fest in Columbus...with all the cultural dancing and exhibits- the whole show was so colorful..now in to the food - omg delicious food...there is a Vietnamese food stall that sells the best coffee in town..I waited in line twice in one day and their sandwiches were really good too...this year they had PHO- it was too hot to have it Saturday but I had a change of heart on Sunday and it was delicious..also the Filipino food stalk was good too their sausage links were to die for ...and of course you can't go walk around Asian festival without taro bubble tea read more

Asian Festival - Waiting in line for my sandwich - Festivals Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Spring is coming and so are the Ohio spring festivals. Whenever the Simpson's starts with the family going to some sort of wacky festival I always know the context of the episode is Springfield, Ohio. We are in the land of festivals and I love it. I also generally love the Asian Festival. You kind of have to dig to find an authentic asian experience within the park. The food is a selection of asian bistro restaurants in town so it's a nice way to sample local spots, but don't expect to find traditional cold chinese dishes, or thai street dishes like roti, ice coffee, or som tom. The story is the same with the merchants although i did score a beautiful moss green silk spun scarf from a Thai woman that let me bargain with here in thai, though my skills are quite rusty. The highlight for me was actually inside in the museum. I spent about an hour looking at the art collections and at the information table chatting with OSU students representing their countries. I got alot of good advice about traveling since the southeast is my favorite spot on the planet. If you haven't been to this festival go early, try to park close since you will be tired from walking the grounds, and plan to stay all day. read more

There are a lot of really cool things to look at and buy, the cultural dances and martial arts are cool, but what I was going for was the food. I have to say that next time I visit I will go for a less conventional line and style of food. I chose pad thai which was sweet and not hot and just not that good, but the Phillapino trucks food that had no line at all looked very interesting so I think I need to step outside the box next time and try something not so chines take-out style. read more

Well, another year has come for the Asian Festival--2013-- and yet another riot! On Saturday evening, about 400 teenagers were gathered in the SW corner of the park, either actively fighting, or avidly cheering on the participants. And like in past years, police presence at the festival was simply not adequate for the size of crowds expected. The few police that were there rushed to the scene of the altercations, and you could hear them calling for backup. But response times were slow, and the teenagers simply broke up into smaller groups; running down side streets, down alleys, or simply running thru neighborhood yards to get away. Many gang fights simply reformed just blocks away from the original altercation, terrorizing neighborhood residents in the process. This is at least the third year in a row that fights have broken out on the Saturday evening of the festival. Part of the problem is the "free" admission that attracts the gang element that have nothing else to do on a 3-day holiday weekend. But a festival that actively brags about attracting 50,000 participants simply needs more police presence, especially during the late afternoon and early evening hours, to ensure the safety of the attendees as well as the neighborhood residents. As an alternative to more police, the planners should consider shutting down the festival at an earlier hour. They do not have these riots on Sunday evenings, when the festival does shut down earlier. And the city could refuse a permit to operate on city park land so late on Saturday, making it unattractive for the gang element to attend in the first place. I won't even get into the non-existent parking issue. My advice? Read the reviews from prior years and decide if this is a festival that you really must attend. And if you decide you simply must go for the over-priced food , cheap jewelry, and tawdry t-shirts, then be sure to arrive early, and then LEAVE early, so you can avoid the riots, as in 2011, 2012, and now 2013! Perhaps you would be safer staying home, or simply patronizing your local Chinese or other Asian restaurant. I know they would appreciate your business. read more

the Festival takes place on the best of the longer weekend in spring time in a relaxed atmosphere awashed by the great nature scenery that is of the superbly manicured Franklin Conservatory Park. The people are gentle, friendly, not drunk like people in other festivals in town, there are also a lot of Caucasian visitors coming from Europe, England, France, Germany, Spain, Israel, Russia, Alaska and elswhere...they are probably here in town visiting their family and friends but made good choice to attend; so the Festival had gone global in a sense and not just confine to one or two countries but at least 50+ countries involved.. I lost count. The food is ofcourse excellent nothing can be compared, I've been ripped off at the ribs-fest(rip-fest) with their boiled ribs and dogs covered with thick gooey sauce before and never again, I'd prefer getting ripped off by the variety of tasteful asian food any time of the days, weeks and years :); the entry is free(not charging you $10-$15 like other festivals)so you can afford to bring family and friends, the food very cheap and the park is so huge with multi spots with activities for you and your pet to to freely roam and play, it'll be a great Memorable weekend and always had been. read more