By David Lavrinovich, Contributing Writer
In 2024, World’s Fair Park hosted over 70,000 people for the Knoxville Asian Festival, cementing it as the largest cultural festival in the Southeastern United States. This year had even more visitors, with Knoxville natives and visitors alike participating in the downtown area. With amazing food, artistic vendors, a cosplay contest, and various cultural demonstrations, there was plenty to do and see for everyone. Especially for its 12th year, the festival featured Polynesian dancers and Japanese sumo wrestlers as its headlining events.
Visitors were able to travel the world with their taste buds, as Knox Asian Fest had food and drink vendors from all over Asia. If the free water station didn’t keep you hydrated, then all the flavors of bubble tea, Thai tea, and dalgona coffee did! For connoisseurs of Japanese cuisine, the takoyaki and onigiri were must-try snacks, while Korean corndogs, a fresh take on an American classic, were the perfect bite while you walked around to see the sights of the festival. Foodies who wanted a sit-down meal were well fed, with Thai pad see ew, Bangladeshi biryani, Indonesian ribs, and plenty more.
There were numerous vendors across World’s Fair Park, showcasing both traditional and modern art. Those who wanted to beat the heat could purchase beautifully hand-painted fans and parasols, and Anime and K-pop collectors could get exclusive merchandise of their favorite characters and idols. Plenty of vendors offered jewelry, giving visitors a chance to accessorize with Chinese hairpins, Indian jhumkas, and other stunning pieces. There was truly something for everyone, and no shortage of interesting souvenirs.
Another major draw to Knox Asian Fest is their cosplay contest. Various fandoms, from The Legend of Zelda to One Piece, were on display as people showed off their passion for creating and dressing up in elaborate costumes. Even the panel of judges was in cosplay, with two of the three dressed up as Rumi and Mira from one of the biggest animated films of the year, KPOP Demon Hunters. The event partnered with Yama-Con Anime and Comic Convention to award tickets to three lucky winners, giving them a chance to show off their craft at the biggest anime convention in East Tennessee.
Over the decade that Knox Asian Fest has been celebrated, there has never been a Pacific Islander culture represented – until now. This year, Mahealani’s Polynesian Entertainment traveled to Knoxville from Atlanta to share their culture through dance. The four performers from Hawaii, Samoa, and Tahiti joined together to demonstrate traditional Tahitian dances, including fire dancing with flaming coconuts, which was the highlight of the show. There was even a chance for audience participation, as children and adults alike were invited on stage to learn how to dance like Tahitians. Visitors left with lasting memories and a few new dance moves!
The other headlining event of Knox Asian Fest was the sumo wrestling matches, courtesy of USA Sumo. Four champions traveled all the way from Japan, with Knoxville as their first stop on a global tour. Spectators were able to see the likes of highly awarded winners, Ichi, Mendee, and Zorig, not to mention Hiroki, the heaviest sumo champion on earth and an actor in John Wick: Chapter 4. Viewers who were unfamiliar with sumo wrestling were able to see demonstrations of basic techniques within the sport, while long-time fans were rewarded with grand smack-downs. At the end of the demonstrations, people were encouraged to take photos with their favorite sumo wrestler, leaving the event with a unique souvenir.
Knoxville Asian Fest is one of the most exciting events in The Marble City, and only continues to grow in popularity as the years go by. Food, art, and performances from all over Asia make this one of the most unique events of the year. If you missed the chance to go this year, make sure to keep an eye out for its return next year!
