The fifth annual Vietnamese-American art and culture celebration will be Saturday, May 12 at the Fairmont San Jose from 5 PM to 10:30 PM. The Ao Dai Festival is a multi-dimensional experience that celebrates Vietnamese culture and art where you can join internationally acclaimed designers and watch a wondrously colorful parade and pre-show ceremony complete with a tapestry of colored flags and red silk banners. There will be a festival ceremony featuring a Dragon Dance Troupe, dozens of drummers, horn players, and Ao Dai models. You will also see dancers and stilt walkers dressed in the astonishingly exquisite & traditional Vietnamese long gown known as Áo Dài.
Food and wine will be served by the chefs of the Fairmont and there will be an evening cocktail reception, designer’s walk, and topping it off with a “dinner-show extravaganza” known as “Hôi Trùng Dúóng” or “Confluence of the Rivers.”
There will be performances this year by the Vietnamese Lasallian Youth Troupe, a highly energetic drum concert, and renowned singers Hà Thanh Xuân and Dông Lan will be appearing as well. The Saigon Chamber Ensemble is also set to appear and there will be other renowned musicians providing the exotic sounds of Vietnamese traditional music and sparking the festivities.
There will also be humanitarian awards, Ao Dai fashion awards, and a live auction for great items such as a wine collector package valued at $1400, a lunch at Three Seasons with Jenn Chung and festival creator Jenny Do, and an ultimate dining experience for 12 people with executive Chef Rosalie Cartwright, just to name a few.
The San Jose Museum of Art and CNDC are co-sponsors this year and the festival is organized by nonprofit organizations. If you’d like to volunteer to help at this year’s festival, or want more information about the live auction or other events, simply visit https://aodaifestival.com for more information.
The Ao Dai Festival was developed by Jenny Do to bring together artists and social activists who firmly believe in humanity through arts, attempting to use their art to change society in positive ways. The festival has generated a deeper appreciation of Vietnamese history by highlighting the best aspects of the Vietnamese culture, which is fairly unknown among the general population of this country.
Mark your calendars now for May 12 and don’t miss the spectacular Ao Dai festival in beautiful San Jose.
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