Want to give mahjong or Bollywood dancing a try? You can, at a new Asian cultural festival called the Lotus Festival of Food and Culture, which will be hosted in D.C.’s Chinatown Park all week.
“We are so excited to bring this first-ever weeklong celebration of culture, food and entertainment to the Chinatown community,” Ella Faulkner, vice president of planning and economic development for the DowntownDC Business Improvement District, told WTOP.
The DowntownDC BID organized the festival.
Faulkner said Chinatown “has been going through a bit of a transition over the past few years,” and she hopes the event will “bring back” Asian culture in the area.
The nearly weeklong festival will bring in a new event almost every night.
The festival begins Tuesday at 6 p.m. with a Bollywood dance class instructed by Shuchi Buch of Taal Academy of Dance.
View this post on Instagram
“Anyone who is trying to learn Bollywood, or if they are masters and experts at Bollywood dancing, they should definitely come out,” Faulkner said.
On Wednesday at 6 p.m., festivalgoers can enjoy a midweek wind-down with yoga led by Gopi Kinnicutt of Bhakti Yoga.
On Thursday, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., there will be a movie night hosted by the Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs — with free popcorn, while it lasts.
On Friday, parking spots on I Street NW will close as part of the District’s PARK(ing) Day. The spots will be repurposed for festivalgoers.
“I Street will be activated with Mojang and some other community programs,” said Faulkner.
No events will be held Friday, in observance of Rosh Hashana.
“On the 17th (Sunday), that’s when we’re going to have that Asian food festival where you’re going to be experiencing live DJs,” Faulkner said. “There’ll be live cultural performances.”
All events for the Lotus Festival are free.
