Community/Local Engagement Promotion - $501,000 - $1 Million

Inaugural Asian American Heritage Festival 2023

The City of Garland and community leaders partnered to host the first annual Asian American Heritage Festival. Boasting the 14th largest Vietnamese population in the United States, the city of Garland celebrated the talent, creativity, and diversity of Asian-Pacific American communities and created opportunities for cultural exchange.

We have encouraged visitors to explore our diverse food scene through our Garland Pho Real Trail, and a festival was a natural next step.

There were more than a dozen different nationalities represented at the festival. Each with an authentic and exquisite celebration that reflected their countries and cultures.

The festival’s cultural performances from various nationalities included Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos, Korea, Japan, Hawaii, Indonesia, and more. The talent of Asian Pacific Americans was also represented in craft stalls, art performances, the Colorful World Nation Parade, and a lion dance.

The City of Garland’s primary objective was to pay tribute to the many generations of Asian and Pacific Islander residents during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. This community was recognized and appreciated for their creativity, skills, and contributions to the City of Garland and the Nation.

The festival also served as an opportunity to introduce the many authentic Asian restaurants and small business owners in the city. With its diverse population, Garland’s food scene boasts local, authentic restaurants from various nationalities. It was an excellent opportunity to connect attendees to the Garland Pho Real Trail, a listing of dining opportunities at over twenty authentic Vietnamese restaurants that savor Northern and Southern styles and specialties in the city.

Worked with local Historic Sites to promote a "Summer Scavenger Hunt" using the Visit Nac app. Each stop had a "secret code" that they had to ask the docents for. Those who visited all 8 stops were entered to win a prize. Social media resulted in high engagement, positive sentiment.

Objectives:

Promote the Visit Nac App to locals Spread awareness and educate locals on the history of Nacogdoches Raise awareness of Historic sites in Nacogdoches and the role of our organization in promoting them Motivate locals to view our town from a visitor perspective.