May is AANHPI (Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander) month. The Charlotte area is celebrating the AANHPI community with several events over the next few weeks. Here are a few to attend:
- Charlotte Asian Festival and Dragon Boat Festival (Ramsey Creek Park on Lake Norman on Saturday, May 17th): Dragon Boat races begin around 8:15am, and the Parade of Nations kicks off the rest of the festival from 10:00am-5:00pm. Food, live performances, and an impressive cultural showcase honor all members of the AANHPI community.
- 2025 Japan Fest (Urban District Market, 2315 North Davidson Street, Charlotte, NC on Saturday, May 17th and Sunday, May 18th): Food, music, karaoke, karate performances, cosplay contests, origami, and more. The festival runs from 11:30am-9:00pm on both days.
- Charlotte Water Lantern Festival (Symphony Park, 4400 Sharon Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211 on Saturday, May 24th): From 6:00pm-10:00pm, enjoy food trucks and music. Create your own lantern at the festival, then let it set sail at 9:00pm for the Lantern Launch! Be sure to buy tickets ahead of time, as this event is expected to sell out.
- Tianyu Lights Festival (Concord Mills, 8111 Concord Mills Boulevard, Concord, NC 28027 from now through June 22nd): An outdoor lights festival honoring Chinese lanterns.
Also check out:
- Asian Herald Library (1339 Baxter Street Charlotte, NC 28204): Charlotte is home to the country’s largest Asian private library! It has books written in Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Chinese, as well as books written in English about Asian culture.
- AsiaCarolinas: A great organization celebrating the Asian community in North and South Carolina. It features lots of resources, including where to eat and/or buy specialty groceries, upcoming events, and news.
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