The 2024 Cleveland Asian Festival was a rousing success. Almost 50,000 people attended the annual 2 day festival that included performances, food, cultural displays, health screenings, games, kids and family activities and more.
Asia Plaza roof shot of crowd at Cleveland Asian Festival
There were traditional and modern performances on two stages. There was something for everyone. Younger people really liked the Asian Pop Dance Competition. Plenty of martial arts on the second stage. And so on.
Bhutanese and Nepali celebration of Tihar at Cleveland City Hall Rotunda
On November 8, 2023 Tihar was celebrated for the first time in Cleveland City Hall by the local Nepali/Bhutanese communities and Community Relations Board Department at City Hall and other members of the community.
There were speeches, proclamations from the City, food from Himalayan Restaurant and lots of music and dancing.
Cardiac and other disease in South Asian population
Dr. Aravinda Nanjundappa is a cardiology specialist at Cleveland Clinic's main campus. He said that despite the seemingly healthier diet, the Indian population actually suffers from heart disease earlier in life than Caucasians. In addition, life expectancy is lower for this group. Dr. Nanjundappa gives his recommendations to get and stay healthy. Watch below.
We also spoke with Dr. Deepakraj Gajanana who is also an interventional cardiologist. He said that when he sees the disease burden of someone he wishes the patient could go back in time 5-10 years and make lifestyle changes so they would not be on his table. He said that people from India, Pakistan, China, Nepal, etc. generally have smaller size of arteries which leads to problems. Watch below.
2018
One World Day 2018
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation (CCGF) hosted the 73rd annual One World Day on September 16, 2018. A highlight is the Parade of Flags where people in costumes of their heritage carry the flags. The Nepali and Bhutanese communities were well-represented in the Parade.
The annual Asian Pacific Heritage Day Celebration was held in the Cleveland City Hall Rotunda on May 30, 2018. Chia-Min Chen, Asian Liaison for the City of Cleveland was the MC for the evening. Besides food and networking the offical program included remarks from Chias and Gia Hoa Ryan, Community Relations Board Member and leader of the Vietnamese community. The keynote speaker was Peter Paik, Teacher & Debate Team Coach of University School who told stories showing how is truly a wonderful thing to be a teacher.
Amit Ghose, a Cleveland Metropolitan School District teacher from Joseph M. Gallagher School, spoke about the culture and history of Nepal and Bhutan. He introduced a few of his students who performed Nepalese cultural dances.
The 2018 Cleveland Asian Festival was another huge success. The 9th annual Cleveland Asian Festival was held on the weekend of May 19 and 20 in Cleveland's AsiaTown neighborhood on Payne Avenue. It has become a not-to-miss annual event with great entertainment, food, shopping and fun.
Cleveland Nepali Community at Cleveland Multicultural Event
The Cleveland Nepali Community was represented at the 7th annual International Community Council - Worldwide Intercultural Network (ICC-WIN) holiday party on December 14, 2016.
120 people participated in the fashion show and each walked the runway to music from their country. Click on the white arrow to watch the short video of the Nepali models Nirmala Lekhak, Anusha Kandel and Divya Dumre.
Nepali American Organization of Ohio at Cleveland Asian Festival
Young ladies from the Nepali American Organization of Ohio performed traditional Nepali dances in beautiful costumes at the 2016 Cleveland Asian Festival.
Young Athletes from Nepal at Continental Cup in Cleveland
The Continental Cup, put on by the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, is now in its 10th year and the 2015 event had 3300 athletes from 11 countries including Tanzania, Kenya, Mongolia, China, Bermuda, China, Colombia, Canada, Brazil, Nepal and Greece.
Young Athletes from Nepal at Continental Cup in Cleveland
A team from Nepal posed for photos at the opening ceremony of the 2015 Continental Cup put on by the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.
The Continental Cup is now in its 10th year and the 2015 event had 3300 athletes from 11 countries including Tanzania, Kenya, Mongolia, China, Bermuda, China, Colombia, Canada, Brazil, Nepal and Greece.
Representatives from the Nepali community participated in the International Community Council - Worldwide Intercultural Network's (ICC-WIN) 5th annual multicultural holiday celebration at the Global Center for Health Innovation in the Cleveland Convention Center in Cleveland Ohio. They modeled costumes from Nepal at the International Fashion Show which featured traditional costumes of dozens of countries.
Cleveland City Hall Rotunda
May 28, 2014 The City of Cleveland Community Relations Board, led by Asian Liaison Chia-Min Chen, hosted an Asian Heritage Day Celebration on May 28, 2014 in the Cleveland City Hall Rotunda.
Over 60 Asian community groups and organizations participated. Chia-Min Chen called them up to the stage one at a time and each gave an elevator speech explaining their organization.
This included the Bhutanese-Nepalese Community in Cleveland
Learn more about each organization including photos and videos of the group leaders at the Asian Organizations in Cleveland pages.
2013
2013 Cleveland Asian Festival
May 18-19, 2013
The 4th annual Cleveland Asian Festival attracted 38,380 attendees over the weekend of May 18-19, 2013. They spent over $2 million in the AsiaTown neighborhood. There were dozens of performances from local, regional, and national performing groups including headliner Cheesa from NBC's The Voice.
People enjoyed Asian cuisine from over 20 different restaurants and shopping in the World Market which was filled with merchants of Asian themed products while sponsors had informational displays at their tent.
Tell us about the music, food, holidays, traditions, costumes, language and other qualities that make Nepalis so special.
US Cultural Envoy Gene Aitken opening the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory in Nepal in 2008
Nepal History
In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy.
An insurgency led by Maoist extremists broke out in 1996. The ensuing ten-year civil war between insurgents and government forces witnessed the dissolution of the cabinet and parliament and assumption of absolute power by the king. Several weeks of mass protests in April 2006 were followed by several months of peace negotiations between the Maoists and government officials, and culminated in a November 2006 peace accord and the promulgation of an interim constitution.
Following a nation-wide election in April 2008, the newly formed Constituent Assembly declared Nepal a federal democratic republic and abolished the monarchy at its first meeting the following month. The Constituent Assembly elected the country's first president in July.
The Maoists, who received a plurality of votes in the Constituent Assembly election, formed a coalition government in August 2008, but resigned in May 2009 after the president overruled a decision to fire the chief of the army staff.
Profiles of Nepalis in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio
If you know of a Cleveland Nepali who should be profiled, please let us know.
ClevelandPeople.Com - Nepali Ambassadors
Read more about the ClevelandPeople.Com Ambassadors. If you are interested in being considered to be an official ClevelandPeople.com Ambassador to the Cleveland Nepali community, please contact us.
