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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Contact: Yin Tang<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Phone: 330.990.8702<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Email: <a href="mailto:yintang@clevelandasianfestival.org">yintang@clevelandasianfestival.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><u>2011 Cleveland Asian Festival: The Cultural Event for All!<o:p></o:p></u></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><u>Celebrating May’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month!<o:p></o:p></u></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><u><o:p><span style='text-decoration:none'> </span></o:p></u></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><i>(Cleveland, OH 5/6/2011)</i> In celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May, the Asian community in Northeast Ohio is putting together an extravaganza cultural experience that you can’t miss: the 2<sup>nd</sup> Annual Cleveland Asian Festival, a two days weekend of fun for the entire family, it is free and open to the public on May 21-22, 2011<i>. <o:p></o:p></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cultural performances, martial arts demonstrations, children’s activities, merchandises and informational booths, authentic Asian cuisine, health pavilion with free screening, trolley tours and fun competitions. Cleveland Asian Festival has everything for everyone:<i><o:p></o:p></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Two outdoor stages (CPP and PNC stages) will feature different performances taking you on a diverse journey across Asia: Lion and Dragon Dances, Martial Arts, Traditional Asian Fashions, Taiko Drums, Cleveland comedian Jaya Bidari - India's Funniest Mom in America, Dancing, and many others. Headlining performances on stage is NBC’s “<u>Last Comic Standing</u>” Original Winner, Vietnamese comedian Dat Phan, whom will captivate the audience on Saturday!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Games, inflatable Sumo Wrestling, an inflatable bounce house and giant slide, Asian crafts, Dance Dance Revolutions, and prizes for parents looking for activities for the children will all be part of the festival. While in the area, give Caf the panda a big hug! Panda’s are shy, and Caf is especially elusive. He has been sighted at the 2011 St. Patrick’s Day Parade, walk the runway at the Kent State Fashion Show, and played basketball at Cleveland State University. Now Caf the panda will interact with visitors giving the children a weekend they can’t forget!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Visitors will have the opportunity to experience authentic Asian cuisine at the festival’s food court, sample food from over a dozen of style such as Japanese, Thai, Korean, Chinese, Himalayan/Nepalese , Cambodian, Philippines, Northern India, and many other countries. A delightful cultural tour through ethnic food and drinks within one location. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Scroll through over 100+ booths of merchandises, informational or cultural displays at the World Market, exhibitors include Asian clothing, jewelry, handbags and other accessories, souvenirs, social service agencies and exhibitors throughout. Meet and Greet with movie star at The Event booth with actress Yin Chang, “Mei Kwan” in Walt Disney’s current movie now in theatre, <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>PROM</span></em>. Ms. Chang is most recognized for her role as ‘Nelly Yuki’ on CW’s <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Gossip Girl</span></em>. Chang has also appeared on NBC’s <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Law & Order: SVU</span></em> and <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Law & Order: Criminal Intent </span></em>and ABC’s <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Six Degrees</span></em>. Also at the Japanese Association of Northeast Ohio (JANO) booth, support their effort in raising funds for Japan Disaster Relief.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Free health screenings will be back inside the Asia Plaza. With physicians readily to assist from the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, MetroHealth, and St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. The Health Pavilion will provide free screenings such as children’s blood lead levels, bone density, cholesterol, and glucose. For feminine concerns, there will also be mammograms by appointment only. There will also be free health talks scheduled and bilingual interpreters available to assist in translations. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Eating competitions are back! The festival will include on Saturday at 5:00pm, the Samosa Eating Competition and on Sunday at 5:00 PM, an Egg Roll eating competition. Both at the CPP Stage located in the food court. Festival attendees are encouraged to cheer and rally for the winner, a fun activity for those craving for some good eating challenge!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tour around AsiaTown neighborhood with Lolly the Trolley, this year’s new addition free tour. Hop onto the Trolley to discover local secrets in AsiaTown with a tour guide providing brief history of the area. The Trolly will also make stops during its route; allowing passengers the opportunity to experience additional exhibitions at Ariel International Center, Tyler Village and Asian Town Center.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>With something for everyone for the whole family, there are endless activities at the 2011 Cleveland Asian Festival. Festival goers can also take advantages of several free parking in the AsiaTown neighborhood and Cleveland State University lots S1, Y1, Y2 with free shuttle service provided by Ace Taxi Services. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Cleveland Asian Festival is a free event happening on May 21<sup>st</sup> and May 22<sup>nd</sup> at Asia Plaza located on the corner of Payne Avenue and East 30<sup>th</sup> Street. The festival this year will run 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM both days. Download the 2011 Cleveland Asian Festival Program Booklet, check out the detailed scheduled performances, directions, parking information, or list of exhibitors at http://www.ClevelandAsianFestival.org<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For more information visit ClevelandAsianFestival.org<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Date and Time: May 21st-May 22nd from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM (both days). Rain or shine.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Location: 2999 Payne Avenue, Cleveland OH, 44114<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Lolly the Trolley Tour sponsored by Ariel International Center, Asian Town Center and the Tyler Village<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cleveland Asian Festival is sponsored by: Ariel International Center, Asia Plaza, City of Cleveland, Cleveland City Council, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Foundation, Cleveland Public Power, ClevelandPeople.com, Collection Auto Group, Consolidated Graphics Group, COSE, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture , Cuyahoga County Public Library, Erie Chinese Journal, Global Cleveland, India International Newspaper, KeyBank, MetroHealth, MetroMix.com, Ohio Arts Council, OhioAuthority.com, PNC, Presque Isle Downs and Casino, St. Clair Superior Development Corp., Time Warner Cable, Tyler Village, University Hospital and many others.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>###<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>Johnny Wu<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>216.539.4634<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>Producer/Director/Editor/Wire-Stunt<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>www.mdifilm.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>More reels at www.vimeo.com/mdifilm<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:black'>Principal Brand Strategist<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:black'>Sampson / Carnegie<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:black'>Serious Brand Strategies<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:black'>www.Smarterthinking.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>OCA-Cleveland Chapter<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>“Embracing the Hopes and Aspirations of Asian Pacific Americans” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>OCA Image TV Magazine on TV20 & iTunes<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>www.ocagc.org<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>Co-Chair Executive Committee<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>Cleveland Asian Festival<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>www.ClevelandAsianFestival.org<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>Administrator<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>Cleveland IndieClub<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>www.clevelandindieclub.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>WVIZ/IdeaStream Community Advisory Board<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>St. Clair Superior Development Board Member<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>International Services Center Board Member<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>International Community Council Board Member<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>