Family Fun and Festivities at APCC's 17th Annual Asia Pacific New Year Celebration at the Tacoma Dome

Tacoma, WA – on February 14, 2015 – Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) will host the 17th Annual Asia Pacific New Year Celebration, honoring and celebrating the vibrant cultures of Asia and the Pacific Islands. Thousands of people from the Greater Puget Sound and beyond will come together for this FREE family-friendly event. This time it will be held on February 14, 2015, at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall from 11:00am-6:00pm (doors open at 10:30am). Every year is a different host country, and for 2015 the host is Pakistan, a country filled with beautiful people and a proud heritage. Audiences will see demonstrations from Pakistan, as well as China, Tahiti, Philippines, Vietnam, Korea, Guam, Thailand, Samoa, Japan, Indonesia, and many other countries. Audiences will experience exotic music and dances, exciting martial arts demonstrations, and hands-on arts and craft activities. They will experience the aromas and tastes of delicious delicacies from a variety of Asia Pacific food booths. This event truly is a treat for all the senses!

The festivities will open with an exciting Samoan welcome ceremony and greetings from dignitaries and officials including our keynote speaker Governor Jay Inslee and welcoming remarks from Congressmen Derek Kilmer and Denny Heck, Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen, and Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy. Then Pakistan will kick off the main event with traditional dances and demonstrations from the Pakistan Association of Greater Seattle. Other performers include the Indonesian Cultural Association, Evergreen Chinese Academy, Filipino Youth Activities Drill Team, Okinawa Kenjin Kai Taiko, and many other community organizations from India, Hawaii, Guam, Thailand, Korea, and more! Participants will also have fun seeing Muay Thai Kickboxing, Filipino Martial Arts, Chinese Wushu, Vietnamese Vovinam, and other workshops at our Demonstration Stage. Vendors will have interesting booths for people to visit and authentic Asia Pacific cuisine will be served for all to enjoy as they are watching the shows. There will be many fun arts and crafts tables where children can make lanterns, do Polynesian face-painting, and Korean calligraphy. With an expected attendance of 8,000 people, we encourage visitors to arrive early.

APCC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to “bridge communities and generations through arts, culture, education, and business”. Washington is a wonderful kaleidoscope of races and ethnicities with more than 673,000 people who are Asian or Pacific Islander! APCC was founded in 1996 to be a cultural crossroads that promote the greater understanding and appreciation of the heritage of these diverse people. Now APCC serves more than 40,000 people in the Greater Puget Sound and beyond. APCC proudly represents 47 countries and cultures of the Pacific Rim, providing programs and services to help build a stronger more vibrant community for present and future generations. The Annual New Year Celebration is one way APCC proudly honors the Asia Pacific people in our community.