The sound of the food frying, music playing and vendors talking filled the air, intertwined like the harmonies of a song. Laughter and smiles crackled through the crowds like lightning does in clouds before a storm. An atmosphere of love wafted through the festival, a love for oneself, family and heritage. The festival had begun.
North Carolina Asian Americans Together held their annual Common Roots Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Festival in Durham Historic Athletic Park on Saturday May 17, 2025 at 11 AM.
This festival featured multiple vendors, artists, performers and volunteers who contributed to the celebration. The festival had performers such as Saturnalias, Turnabout Players, Aria Chang, and even an NC State graduate student, Tuesday Pil.
Food vendors including Bonjour Banh Mi & Tea, Kuya Bear and Lao Lao Food Truck gathered for the event. While tasting different kinds of lumpia, a type of Filipino dish, Kuya Bear’s Lumpia proved to be nostalgic and flavorful, while GR Fil Am Grill offered lumpia that was delicious and exploding with taste. While these flavors were rich and decadent, the vendors also displayed art pieces and handmade goods that honor their culture and creativity.
Lisa Luo at Komorebi Visions offers a variety of services and products. In addition to her one-on-one Reiki services, which is a type of Japanese alternative medicine, Luo also creates various portraits. She specializes in newborn, family, maternity and ritual ceremony portraitures. Luo is also a mandala artist.
Katya Yegorou-Crate runs Cat Katya Tongue, a small business that sells various garments, accessories and home goods– exclusively made from secondhand materials. Yegorou-Crate explained that all of their clothing items “Are either vintage, rifted [and] salvaged in some way.” The owner explained that this was a way to reuse materials that are already available.
Secco Dreams is a queer-owned small business run by Lea G. G. professionally teaches art while also handcrafting products for Secco Dreams, including items such as tufted rugs, stickers and playthings.
C. Bay Milin with Studio 13 Golden Belt showed off a remarkable collection of photographs. Milin displayed a mastery over perspective, light and movement through his many different photos. His work featured urban landscapes, cars and motorcycles, and even, sometimes, collage. Milin offered words of advice to upcoming photographers, “Definitely keep shooting, whether it’s film or digital…. Hone your eye, definitely take an interest in evaluating a scene.
Vicky Tang, an NCSU Alumna, writes books, makes stickers, bookmarks and little trinkets such as chains. Tang produced multiple poetry books and said, “I use writing as a coping mechanism and it just turned into a business.” Tang shows that persevering through struggles opens doors and opportunities.
Many different small businesses at NCAAT’s Common Roots Festival show how passion, determination and creativity reflect itself in North Carolina’s Asian Pacific community.
