Celebrating AAPI Month at the Chicago Cultural Center
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It'll be a celebration of culture Friday night with the first ever Asian, Pacific Island, and Desi/South Asian American Festival.
Dancing, art and all kinds of entertainment are on display. CBS 2's Sara Machi reports from the Chicago Cultural Center to show us the festivities.
The timing of this inaugural event is no coincidence. The festival is taking place on the first weekend of AAPI Month, celebrating all the artistic contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
This event is designed to draw people's attention to the various artistic expressions by setting up live events like this painting. They also have sculpture displays, musicians, live dancers, standup comedy, and films.
And then they're hoping to maximize their reach by moving the festival to three locations in three days. They're setting up in the Goodman Theatre Saturday and the Museum of Contemporary Art Sunday, showcasing different landmarks, different artistic styles and different cultures.
"I believe that Chicago is the primary creative incubator in the United States. The city has been a talent magnet for decades," said Jonah Zeiger, Deputy Commissioner for the Chicago Film Office.
"We are not mono cultured. So the point of this festival is to highlight as many voices from our community as we can," said Mia Park, Executive Director of APIDA Arts :
The biggest event of the night is a screening. Actor Danny Pudi, a Chicago native popular from the show "Community," is presenting his short film "Running."
That will not be on the festival's live stream, but many of the events over the next two days are available online.
