Wichita foodies don’t miss this annual festival if they can help it

The Wichita Asian Festival is always packed with people, and many of them are there for the food.

The event, which also offers cultural performances and a Miss Wichita Asian scholarship pageant , has become known over the years as a destination for foodies who want to try lots of Asian dishes in one place. This year, more than 55 vendors will be set up at the festival, and many of them will be offering food and drink.

The festival, put on by the Wichita Asian Association, returns for its 43rd installment this weekend and will run from 5 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday at Century II, spilling from the Convention Hall through the connecting lobby over to the Exhibition Hall. It always draws thousands of people.

The vendors providing food at the event are usually a mix of restaurants, cultural clubs and home cooks. People can roam from booth to booth trying specialties from a long list of Asian countries. In the past, vendors have offered things like boba tea, Vietnamese pastries, banh mi sandwiches, egg rolls and Filipino fare.

Attendees load up on food then shop through booths offering art items, crafts and other merchandise, or they sit down to watch cultural performances and the pageant.

Admission is $5, free for children 10 and under. Those who are extra serious about getting first dibs on the food can get a $25 VIP admission ticket that offers early access to the festival and the food vendors.

People are encouraged to get tickets in advance at the Century II box office or online at www.selectaseat.com as a long line usually forms at the box office the day of the event.

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