SASKATOON — Hundreds from across Saskatoon’s diverse community spent three nights celebrating Asian culture and heritage during the inaugural Rhythm & Roots Asian Festival and Night Market.
The event was held Thursday to Saturday at Lakeview Church on Glazier Road, south of the city, where individuals and groups performed dances and showcased cultural traditions.
The three-day festival featured traditional dances, live performances, food and fashion shows in a family-friendly atmosphere. Organizers said the event offered both a feast for the senses and a chance to learn more about the cultures of communities that call Saskatchewan home.
The Filipino-Canadian Association of Saskatchewan (FILCAS), one of the event’s co-organizers, invited other Asian groups to highlight the vibrancy of Asian-Canadian communities in the province.
"The support from the community has been incredible. People really showed up for the festival, and it just proves how much we all wanted something like this to happen here,” said event co-chair and FILCAS co-president Jenelyn Santos Ong.
Jackie Kiew, of Chinese-Malaysian lineage, said she was pleased to perform and showcase her culture through music. She credited her parents for raising her with an understanding of her roots.
"Being part of this festival was a great opportunity. Music has a way of connecting people, and it was amazing to share both the indoor and outdoor stage with such a diverse crowd,” Kiew said.
Sams Enterprise Inc. owner Aloka Basu, who joined about 20 food vendors in the night market, said she appreciated the people who stopped by to sample Asian-inspired popcorn flavours and share their stories.
Ward 2 Coun. Senos Timon, representing Mayor Cynthia Block and City Council, said it was an honour to see Asian cultures celebrated at the festival.
“We would like to congratulate the organizing team for putting together this great event, which I believe is full of fun, excitement, food and entertainment. Seeing the beautiful cultures that we display and these young folks performing always lights my heart in knowing that our young people are ingrained in our culture and roots,” Timon said.
Performers included the Kumintang Folk Dance Ensemble, Saskatoon’s drum group Living Sky Taiko Odori Drum, and J-Pop artist T.Reese, who entertained the audience with anime- and Japanese-inspired video game characters in both 2D and live-action.
