The City of Indianapolis is hosting the 2011 Indianapolis Chinese Festival on September 10 from noon to 7 p.m. in Military Park, located in downtown Indianapolis. Now in its fourth year, the Indianapolis Chinese Festival continues to grow in size and experience to provide visitors with hands-on opportunities to explore Chinese culture. In addition to the dazzling lion and dragon dancers, which open and close the festival, visitors to the event can experience Chinese food, games, music, costumes and arts.
Visitors can try their hand at Chinese paper folding and cutting, write calligraphy using an ink and brush, play Chinese instruments, dress up in traditional Chinese clothing, or learn Mahjong or ping pong. Children will enjoy exploring China in the kids’s area, where they can learn how to play many different Chinese games including Chinese jump rope, jiangxi, yoyo, tangrams and Chinese checkers. There will also be a face painter and tattoo artists on hand providing Chinese-themed temporary body art.
The festival opens at noon with a lively performance by local lion and dragon dancers followed by a taichi demonstration. Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard will welcome the crowd and provide opening remarks at 1 p.m. at the park pagoda. Following Mayor Ballard’s remarks, the pagoda will host a variety of performances by local Chinese performers. The performances include dancers, singers, musicians and martial artists of all ages.
In addition to many new hands-on exhibits, the 2011 festival has also added traditional Chinese food prepared by the local Chinese community including IUPUI Chinese School participants and Sunny and Sons.
For more information, visit the Indianapolis Chinese Festival website (www.indychinesefest.com) or follow updates on Twitter (@indychinesefest) or Facebook (indychinesefest).