The Cleveland Asian Festival is celebrating 10 years
and once again, as it has done since the beginning, marched in the
177th Cleveland St. Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday March 17. While
some may consider it peculiar that the Asian Festival is part of
this long revered parade based on the Irish traditions, both events
symbolize and celebrate the wonderful diversity of Cleveland. The
group was one of about 200 marching units that paraded for the
estimated 100,000 plus attendees that lined Superior Avenue in
Downtown Cleveland.
The Asian Festival group included founding organization OCA Greater
Cleveland's Dragon Dance Team, which included the festival mascot
CAF Panda as a dragon dancer this year. Other festival groups
represented were Rising Star Acrobats, Hula Fusion, and FICA. Many
thanks to Ed Hom of Li Wah Restaurant who supported the Festival
group by providing an after-parade meal. In the parade were: Lisa
Wong (unit organizer), Wayne Wong, Alex Wong, Dorjan Scott, Siu Yan
Scott, Chinja Scott, Steven Jung, David Huang, Chris Blackfire,
Rohit Shastry, Martin King, CAF Panda, Allen Chen, Brenda Gee, Chani
Netsuwan, Ern Gerardo, Anjan Ghose, Ying Pu, and the Rising Star
Acrobats group. Join us at the Cleveland Asian Festival on May
18-19! www.clevelandasianfestival.org
Photos: 1) Cleveland Asian Festival troop preparing to march in the
parade; 2) OCA Greater Cleveland's Dragon Dance Team;
3) Green accessories for St. Patrick's Day
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