Asian Fest organizers expect thousands of people to come learn and celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander’s living in Indiana Saturday.
The free festival runs from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Indiana Historical Society and is part of AAPI month.
This is Asian Fest’s 20th year. It will highlight dance performances, music, food and activities for families that allow attendees to discover and explore diverse cultures from Asia that are woven into Indiana’s history.
The state is home to more than 200,000 Asian Americans according to 2025 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. They represent the 48 countries and thousands of islands that make up the continent.
The event comes after others including last summer’s Hispanic festival FIESTA Indianapolis and Burmese festival in January were canceled due to safety concerns.
Asian American Alliance, Inc. is the festival organizer. President Rupal Thanawala says it’s important to celebrate Asian Americans in Indiana in a safe and welcoming space where people gain empathy and understanding of their neighbors.
"We’ve heard from our visitors in the past that once they’ve come, they experience a culture, they feel that you’re celebrating your culture, but you’re very much an American citizen, and you’re no different than us,” Thanawala said.
The festival will also include free health screenings for attendees.
From doctors to nurses, Thanawala said Asian Americans have played a pivotal role in healthcare in Indiana.
“This group came back to us and said, you know, ‘hey, this is how we want to give back to our community’,” Thanawala said of the health screenings. “So we have been hosting a health fair for probably 15 plus years. But this year, we have expanded a little bit bigger,” she said.
Attendees will receive a first aid kit and there will be other free giveaways at the festival in honor of its 20th year.
Throughout the month there will also be a video projected on the AES building in Monumental Circle that recognizes the story of Asian Americans in Indiana. The four-minute display is in partnership with Downtown Indy Alliance and runs nightly at 10 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Contact WFYI All Things Considered newscaster and reporter Samantha Horton at shorton@wfyi.org or on Signal at SamHorton.05
