Third Annual Asian-American Cultural Festival of LI to be Held March 21st at Farmingdale State College

Suffolk, NY - February 2009 - The Annual Asian-American Cultural Festival of Long Island will be moving from Stony Brook to Farmingdale this year, allowing both Suffolk, Nassau and Queens residents better access to one of the liveliest, most colorful and entertaining events in the area. The festivities will be held on Saturday, March 21st at Roosevelt Hall of Farmingdale State College. It will unite representatives from seven Asian countries under one roof to showcase their heritage and traditions through cultural exhibits, live performances, costumes, films, lectures, workshops, art exhibits, interactive shows and ceremonies. Previous cultural festivals were abundantly attended by both Asians and non-Asians alike and festival organizers expect an even greater number to attend this year than the estimated 5,000 that filled the halls in 2008.

"Farmingdale State College is proud to be a sponsor of the Asian-American Cultural Festival of LI," says Dean of the School of Business Dr. Lorraine Greenwald, who played an instrumental role in bringing the festival to her college. "We now host 87 students from other countries, reflecting the rich diversity of our campus family and the local community. As the world is shrinking, we are discovering that sharing our knowledge and experiences with others reveals many more similarities than differences. This fosters a bond of understanding and respect. Please come and explore these Asian cultures with us." Farmingdale State College President Hubert Keen added, "This festival is just the type of event our college wants to sponsor. Bringing people together to learn about each other is enriching to our students and faculty and to the community at large.

Co-sponsored by the Suffolk County Executive's Office of Minority Affairs, the festival is free to attend in the afternoon from 1-6pm. Families are welcome. Children will delight in the workshops, craft demonstrations and performances geared especially to them. Adults will savor lectures on intriguing topics, foreign films, multicultural performances and cultural exhibits from the Far East. Included will be corporate display tables, an Asian market, and the ever-popular Tea Ceremony. Throughout the afternoon several raffle drawings for children and adults will be held.

The evening program from 6-9pm will feature a stage performance by professional Asian artists, an awards ceremony, a cocktail buffet with an array of Asian foods from each of the countries represented, and a Chinese auction with valuable prizes donated by local merchants. The buffet and Chinese auction will be held in Knapp Hall, a short distance from the site of the afternoon festival. Chinese Cultural Programs, Inc., a 501c3 not-for-profit is organizing the event. Tickets are $30 per person or $25 each for groups of 4 or more. To order tickets, become a corporate or individual sponsor, or donate a raffle prize to publicize your business, visit www.aacfli.com or call 631.543.5768 or 631.754.6640

Celebrating the finalizing of plans to hold the 2009 Asian-American Cultural Festival of LI at Farmingdale State College are top row Mel Guadalupe, Director of the Suffolk County Executive's Office of Minority Affairs, Satya Pradeep, AACFLI dance performer, Professor H. Park, Farmingdale State, Maggie Yamamoto, AACFLI coordinator for Japan, Kathy Coley, director of communications, Farmingdale State and Dr. W. Hubert Keen, president, Farmingdale State. Bottom row are Stella Shieh, AACFLI artistic director, Dr. Lorraine Greenwald, Farmingdale State, Dr. Beverly Kahn, Provost, Farmingdale State, Karen Bomzer, AACFLI communications director and Tai Wang, AACFLI chair.