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May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Puget Sound is home to more than a half-million residents of AAPI origin, so it’s no wonder that there are abundant opportunities to attend a festival, catch a theater performance, try a new food and learn more about these varied cultures all month long. Best of all, many events are free!
What is AAPI Heritage Month?
AAPI Heritage Month (May 1–31) celebrates the history, culture and achievements of people in the United States whose roots originate from the entire continent of Asia, including East, Southeast and South Asia, as well as the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Historically, May contains the dates when the first Japanese people immigrated to the United States, as well as the completion of the transcontinental railroad with major contributions from Chinese workers, making it the month of choice. Originally a weeklong celebration established back in 1979, it expanded to an entire month in 1990.
Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Art
Date and time: Monday–Friday, May 1–29, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Cost: Free
Bellevue City Hall hosts an art exhibition showcasing emerging Pacific Northwest artists whose work represents the culture, legacy and experiences of AANHPI people. All are welcome to drop in and take a look during City Hall’s open hours.
Tacoma Asian American/Pacific Islander History Scavenger Hunt
Date: Daily, May 1–31
Cost: Free
Take part in an ongoing scavenger hunt at all Tacoma Public Library branches to learn more about Asian American history in Tacoma and make a craft.
Pacific Island and Asian American Celebration at the Burke Museum
Date and time: Thursday, May 1, noon–7 p.m.
Cost: Free
The Burke Museum celebrates AAPI Heritage Month on Free First Thursday, so there is no admission fee all day. Activities include sessions with Noelani Montas in the Artist Studio, a presentation on oceanic sciences and story time with Hindi Kids.
Sina: From Tonga to Seattle — Crafting a Legacy Through Tongan Arts and Entrepreneurship
Date and time: Thursday, May 1, 5:30–8:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Celebrate Seattle Tongan artist and entrepreneur, Sina, and her impact on the community and local art scene during a special tribute at the King Street Station. Enjoy traditional Tongan treats, crafts, live cultural performances, music and more. An art exhibition showcasing Tongan art in Seattle will be on display at the station’s gallery through June 21.
‘Songs of the Moon: Fantastical Folktales from Asia’
Date and time: Thursday, May 1, 6–7 p.m.
Cost: Free
Bring the kids to MOHAI for a performance from The 5th Avenue Theatre’s Educational Touring Company that introduces the audience to traditional folktales from different parts of Asia. Free as part of the museum’s Free First Thursday programming.
‘Sàigòn to Seattle: 50 Years After the War’ Film Screening
Date and time: Saturday, May 3, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Cost: Free
Preregister to attend a free screening of the short film, “Sàigòn to Seattle: 50 Years After the War,” which tells the stories of Vietnamese refugees in King County. The film shows every 30 minutes at Hoa Mai Park in Seattle, where there will also be music and cultural performances for the whole family.
Asian Arts & Heritage Festival Dance Party
Date and time: Friday, May 9, 7–8:30 p.m.
Cost: Pay what you can; $10 suggested donation
Grab your dancing shoes and bring the whole family to the Rowing Center on Bainbridge Island to groove to dance styles from all over Asia, from K-pop and Bollywood to Japanese Bon Odori and more. Proceeds go toward funding Bainbridge Island’s Asian Arts & Heritage Festival on May 31.
Ai Weiwei: ‘Water Lilies’
Date: Wednesday–Sunday through March 15, 2026
Cost: Included with admission ($9.99–$17.99)
Get up close and personal with Ai Weiwei’s impressive 50-foot-long Lego art piece composed of 650,000 bricks reinterpreting Monet’s famous “Water Lilies” painting at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. The Chinese artist’s work is also on display at the Seattle Art Museum in his exhibition, “Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei.”
Food Tours: Tastes of Chinatown-International District
Date and time: Friday, May 2 and 9, 4–6:30 p.m.
Cost: $55.95; ages 4 and younger are free
Indulge in a guided food tour of the Seattle International District that the whole family will savor. Curated by the Wing Luke Museum, each tour is unique, showcasing new dishes each time.
Korea Day at Asia Pacific Cultural Center
Date and time: Saturday, May 3, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Cost: Free
With K-Pop and Korean drum performances, martial arts and bulgogi cooking demos, Asia Pacific Cultural Center’s Korea Day in Tacoma has it all. Bring the whole family for a fun and immersive afternoon.
Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration
Date and time: Saturday, May 3, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Cost: Free
Enjoy dance performances, catch a martial arts demo and watch the hum-bow eating contest (yum!) at Seattle Center’s annual fest celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander heritage.
Kodomo no Hi Children’s Day
Date and time: Sunday, May 4, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Cost: Free
Celebrate Children’s Day with your crew and learn about children’s culture in Japan through art, history, food, music, active games and martial arts demonstrations. Head to the Japanese Cultural Community Center in Seattle for a day of fun!
Pacific Horizons: A Community Lū’au
Date and time: Saturday, May 3, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Cost: Free
What better way to celebrate the Pacific Islander culture than a lū’au? Join the community at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art for hula performances, ukulele music, lei-making, cultural games and, of course, delicious food as part of BIMA’s Asian Arts and Heritage Festival. Preregister.
Up and Atom Steam Days Celebrating AAPI Month
Date: May 6, 13 and 20
Cost: Free
Make STEAM craft projects while learning about AAPI traditions and contributors at Tacoma Library branches. Make your own koinobori (Japanese carp windsock) in honor of Children’s Day, craft a cherry blossom tree and celebrate artist Yayoi Kusama with dot art.
Finding Peace: First Annual Korean Heritage Night
Date and time: Thursday, May 8, 6:30–8 p.m.
Cost: Free
Head to Woodward Middle School on Bainbridge Island for an evening of Korean cultural traditions from martial arts to modern-day hip hop and mindfulness led by local youth, families and community leaders. Preregister for this event, part of BIMA’s Asian Arts and Heritage Festival.
BonsaiFest
Date and time: Saturday–Sunday, May 10–11, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Cost: Free; $12 suggested donation
View hundreds of beautiful bonsai at the height of spring bloom at this fest celebrating a unique Japanese art form. Head to Federal Way’s Pacific Bonsai Museum to watch demonstrations, tour the collection and enjoy kids activities.
‘She Marches in Chinatown’ Documentary Screening
Date and time: Saturday, May 10, 11 a.m.–noon and 1–2 p.m.
Cost: Included with admission ($19–$25; ages 14 and younger are free)
Catch a screening of the inspirational documentary, “She Marches in Chinatown,” about the history, importance and impact of Seattle’s one-of-a-kind Chinese Community Girls Drill Team, followed by a live performance at MOHAI.
Family Saturday: Koi Day
Date and time: Saturday, May 10, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Cost: Free for youth 12 and younger; $6–$10 for ages 13 and older
The koi are hungry over at Seattle’s lovely Japanese Garden. Stop by and feed them during May’s Family Saturday, when you can also tour the beautiful garden in all its spring glory and take in a taiko drum performance.
SCT Presents ‘The Pa‘akai We Bring’
Date: Select dates, May 8–June 1
Cost: Tickets start at $30
Say aloha to the Seattle Children’s Theatre’s latest show, “The Pa’akai We Bring,” and be immersed in a generational story of salt farmers on Kaua’i, sprinkled with ancient stories, hula, songs, live music and audience participation. Best for ages 7 and older.
South Sound Day of Remembrance
Date and time: Thursday, May 15, 5:30–8 p.m.
Cost: Free
The Washington State History Museum in Tacoma commemorates the forced eviction of Japanese Americans during World War II from Puget Sound with a program featuring a walking tour of significant sites and a taiko drum performance. Please preregister.
Melanesian Heritage Night
Date and time: Friday, May 16, 4–6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Join BIMA once more for its Asian Arts and Heritage Festival. The focus of this celebration is Melanesian and Pacific Islander culture featuring traditional foods, kava tasting, art, storytelling and activities for all ages.
A Glimpse of China — Chinese Culture and Arts Festival
Date and time: Saturday, May 17, 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Head to Seattle Center for another cultural festival — this time journey to China and experience 5,000 years of arts and culture through food sampling, painting and calligraphy, traditional clothing, and folk dancing.
Peony Festival
Date and time: Saturday–Sunday, May 17–18, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Cost: Donations welcome
Visit the Seattle Chinese Garden to take in the sight of peonies in full bloom and the sounds of live music. You will also find crafts for kids, demonstrations and performances highlighting Chinese culture.
United Festival
Date and time: Saturday, May 17, noon–5 p.m.
Cost: Free
Enjoy a fest honoring AAPI Heritage Month geared toward the whole family at Redmond Downtown Park. Featuring delicious food and memorable performances, attendees can also receive free henna.
Living Voices: ‘Within the Silence’
Date and time: Saturday, May 17, 1–2 p.m. and 2–3 p.m.
Cost: Included with admission ($19–$25; ages 14 and younger are free)
Bring the older kids to MOHAI to experience history through live theatrical performances and archival film in a presentation by Living Voices about the experience of an incarcerated Japanese American family during World War II. Best for fourth graders and older.
Asian American Pacific Islander Community Day at the Seattle Aquarium
Date and time: Sunday, May 18, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Cost: Included with admission
The Seattle Aquarium has a day of special activities planned to celebrate AAPI Month, including story times, educational talks and a puppet show about coral.
AANHPI Family Book Event
Date and time: Sunday, May 18, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Cost: Free
Reserve your spot to mingle with a panel of local children’s book authors who will explore themes of identity, culture and sense of belonging at a book reading event celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander families at the Filipino Community Center. There will be arts and crafts and other fun activities!
Taiwanese American Heritage Week Celebration — Taiwan Pulse
Date and time: Tuesday, May 20, 7–8:45 p.m.
Cost: $30 adults; $10 children; ages 6 and younger are free
Experience Taiwanese culture by taking in an unforgettable drum art performance by Ten Drum, a popular percussion group from Taiwan, at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.
Samurai Undressed
Date: Friday, May 23
Cost: Free
Pierce County Libraries invite all ages to discover the fascinating world of Japanese samurai by examining the armor of the era. Sessions are being held at the Milton/Edgewood Pierce County and University Place libraries.
Olympia AANHPI Heritage Month Celebration
Date and time: Saturday, May 24, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Cost: Free
The City of Olympia invites all to Evergreen State College to join in a celebration of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander heritage with performances and activities for the whole family.
Community Concert in Burien
Date and time: Tuesday, May 27, 7:30–8:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Reserve your tickets to a community concert featuring Burien’s own Mount Rainier High School Orchestra performing music of Southeast Asia with the Seattle Symphony. Walk-ups are also welcome to attend this show at Highline Performing Arts Center.
AAPINH Month Story Time with Michelle Jing Chan and Chloe Ito Ward
Date and time: Saturday, May 31, 11 a.m.–noon
Cost: Free
Illustrator Michelle Jing Chan and author Chloe Ito Ward share their new picture book, “Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School,” about a young Chinese girl fighting to end school segregation in 1880s California. Join them for story time at the Lake Forest Park Third Place Books.
Filipino Cultural Dance Workshop
Date and time: Saturday, May 31, 11 a.m.–noon
Cost: Free
Get a taste of the history and culture of the Philippines through dance. Learn the steps to the national dance, tinikling, and the storytelling behind it at the Eatonville Library. Preregister.
Asian Arts and Heritage Festival Celebration
Date and time: Saturday, May 31, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Cost: Free
Back for a second year, Bainbridge Island’s Filipino community welcomes all to its Asian Arts and Heritage Festival Celebration for a day of live music, cultural performances, kids activities and tasty Asian street food. The fun happens at the Filipino American Community Hall.
Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival
Date: Saturday–Sunday, May 31–June 1
Cost: Free
At the end of the month, complete your tour of AAPI cultures at the Seattle Center with the Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival and experience Filipino heritage through music, dance, arts, history, literature and crafts.
More ways to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander culture: |
