Saskatoon’s first Asian Festival and Night Market is hitting the street for three days this week.

The Filipino Community Association of Saskatchewan is utilizing the new event to showcase young and emerging artists, entrepreneurs and leaders in the Asian community.

Beginning Thursday at 5:00 p.m., the event will bring food, entertainment, and activities from the lands of Asia to the people of Saskatoon.

One of the festival co-chairs Jenelyn Santos Ong says on the entertainment from, there will be traditional cultural dances, hip hop, K-pop, karaoke activities and performers, and martial arts. As for activities, attendees can expect a mahjong demonstration, ping pong, pickle ball, and an arcade and gaming tournament.

“In additional to all the activities and entertainment, we can’t have an Asian festival without the food. With food being such an integral part of our culture, we want to ensure we’re showcasing a variety of different kinds of Asian foods. From Filipino to Japanese, from deserts to beverages, like bubble tea.”

The event was prompted by a need to support the Kumintang Folkdance Ensemble. The group features the talents of numerous dancers ages 8-24. Since March, they’ve been practicing pieces such as Tinikling, which is Philippines’ national dance, and Singkil, the Maranao royal dance.

The event is completely free. You can either show up or request a ticket on EventBrite to secure your spot.

The Rhythm and Roots Asian Festival and Night Market run Thursday through Saturday 5-11pm at Lakeview Church, 19 Glazier Road.

Anyone who wants more info can go to rnr-asianfest.ca