The 12th Knox Asian Festival returns to Knoxville on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, bringing a rich cultural experience of food, performances and much more to the heart of our city. It’s one of Knoxville’s most anticipated summer events — so much so, that it draws thousands of attendees every year.
Hosted by the Asian Culture Center of Tennessee, the festival’s events will begin at 10:30 a.m. and conclude at 6:30 p.m., starting with an Asian cultural parade that features traditional outfits and music from a variety of countries. The parade will also feature a performance by the Clayton-Bradley Academy’s orchestra.
Additionally, there will be rotating performances throughout the day, ranging from Korean fan dancing and K-Pop dance all the way to Polynesian fire-dancing. Due to popular demand from previous attendees of the festival, sumo wrestlers will also be accompanying these performances.
This year’s festival will feature a brand new event held the evening before, Saturday, Aug. 23, at the Tennessee Amphitheater located in World’s Fair Park. This ticketed event will be a “Sushi and Sumo event” in which participants will be provided a sushi dinner from Zukku Sushi and watch sumo performers. Tickets for this event can be purchased through Eventbrite. Proceeds will support K-12 educational outreach programs across the region.
Sumo wrestlers at the 2023 Knox Asian Festival.
Booths will showcase different cultures using an interactive approach, with experiences such as Thailand’s Loy Krathong flower festival and a Japanese tea ceremony inside a mobile teahouse built by UT students. Over 80 arts and crafts vendors and 50 food vendors will be in attendance, in addition to a cosplay contest and many more family-friendly activities. For a full list of the food vendors who will be in attendance, you can visit their website.
Jason Chau, owner of Angry Dumplings, will be returning to the festival for his third year as a vendor. He praised the event’s organization, giving credit to both the staff and UT student volunteers who keep the operation going.
“It makes it easy for us to communicate with the staff and event people,” Chau said. “Sometimes vendors have unique needs, like extra electricity, and they accommodate them well. I’m very, very happy working with them.”
Misting stations, water refill stations and access to the Splash Pad will all be available to help attendees beat the expectedly intense heat. General admission tickets are $3 via Eventbrite or $5 at the gate. The festival is also accepting volunteers.
If you are in town, stop by World’s Fair Park to experience something unforgettable. Between the many diverse cuisines, performances and activities, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. Attendees are encouraged to wear traditional attire from their heritage or to just come as they are.
