America is a melting pot of diverse communities — and as event organizers, we’re incredibly privileged to be able to bring those communities together to celebrate what makes them unique.
That’s why we get so excited every time the month of May rolls around.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month: the perfect time to celebrate the contributions that AAPIs have made to the US.
Hosting an event to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month can bring your community together, celebrate rich Asian cultures, and show AAPI community members and Asian-owned businesses that they have your support — and we’re here to help.
Read on to find out what AAPI Heritage Month is all about, get AAPI month ideas for community events, interactive activities to celebrate at work, and virtual event ideas to celebrate AAPI cultures no matter where you are.
Table of contents
AAPI Month ideas for community events
Ideas to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month at work
Virtual activities to celebrate AAPI Month
Pro tips to sell out your AAPI Month activities
What is AAPI Heritage Month?
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders form a huge part of this country. There are over 24 million people of AAPI origin living in the US, and 1.7 million of those people are Native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders.
As you can imagine, they’ve made some huge contributions to American culture — not to mention owning and operating 3 million businesses up and down the country.
To honor those amazing contributions, Congress established AAPI Heritage Month in 1977. Since then, May has been a time to celebrate the impact of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the US. This month offers an opportunity to learn more about AAPI cultures in the classroom or through community events.
AAPI Heritage Month is all about uniting Asian communities and non-Asian communities. It’s a chance to celebrate rich cultures, educate others about unique traditions, and also acknowledge and reflect on past wrongs and bigotry.
Bearing that in mind, there’s a wide range of potential event ideas and activities worth exploring during the month of May.
AAPI Month ideas for community events
AAPI Heritage Month is about unity and celebration — which is why it’s the perfect opportunity to set up large-scale, community events designed to bring everybody together.
To help inspire your event planning, here are some of our absolute favorite AAPI Month ideas for big community-style events:
1. Asian heritage festival
Heritage festivals celebrate the various cultures found in Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
Set up booths where eventgoers can learn about different cultural traditions or sample foods. Invite local AAPI chefs to cook their favorite dishes. Round out the event with craft stalls, music and dance performances, and activities for kids.
Want to turn your AAPI heritage festival into a multi-day affair? Check out IYF Anchorage and their 2024 Korean Culture Journey in Dallas, TX.
Organizers set up an immersive experience for guests to explore Korea’s rich traditions, music, and art — covering five days’ worth of interactive workshops, engaging performances, and unforgettable cultural experiences.
Take a look:
2. Host a cultural performance
There’s no better way to celebrate AAPI cultures than with a performance by people from this diverse community. Host a cultural performance where AAPI community members can sing, dance, or play instruments and songs from their cultures.
But it’s important to remember that cultural performances can extend beyond music and dance.
For example, Carolinas Asian American Chamber of Commerce featured calligraphy displays, painting sessions, and a one-of-a-kind Diabolo performance at its recent AAPI Cultural Holiday Festival.
Not familiar with the diabolo? It’s a unique relative of the ancient Chinese art of yo-yo. After the excitement, guests got to catch their breath with guided tai-chi and meditation sessions led by seasoned instructors.
3. Asian food festival
Bring together AAPI restaurants in the area for an outdoor food festival. Each restaurant can set up a booth and serve traditional dishes to hungry attendees.
A food festival is also the perfect opportunity to bring in some food trucks to create a fun atmosphere and let your guests pick and choose the foods they try.
If you’re in need of a little inspiration, take a look at Friday Night Street Food Market’s Asian Mega Night Street Food Winter Market.
Their Florida event enabled guests from all walks of life to indulge in a variety of flavors from different Asian cuisines, from savory dumplings to sweet desserts. They also had a live band, DJ, and activities for children.
4. Explore AAPI art with exhibitions and installations
Celebrate creativity by hosting an art exhibition or installation featuring works from noted AAPI artists.
Local artists in the community can also be invited to submit their work to the show. Exhibitions can showcase traditional art techniques or follow a particular theme or country.
You could even go next-level like CHOPSTICKS ALLEY ART did for their ”Under One Moon” Tea Ceremony and Immersive Exhibition.
Organizers used AI and animation to create an immersive art exhibition including contemporary visuals, poetry, and music from a collective of AAPI artists.
Take a look at the final product:
5. AAPI leadership summit
A visibility summit gives attendees insight into the AAPI community in your area. Welcome a range of speakers from the AAPI community and focus on topics like building a career, starting a business, or fostering community.
For lessons in best practices, check out AAPILC Caucus and their upcoming 2025 AAPI Leadership Summit event.
This major event, taking place at Warner Brothers Studio in Los Angeles, promises to give guests the opportunity to learn from local, state, and federal AAPI elected officials, AAPI business executives, and AAPI community leaders.
They’re also offering multiple event sponsorship opportunities for businesses keen to support the event — which is a brilliant way for event organizers to secure additional event funding, as well as open up chances for unique business collaborations.
Ready to start planning your own AAPI Month activities?
6. Children’s book readings
Incorporate children and families with a book reading featuring AAPI authors. Books can be sold, and the authors can sign copies for event-goers. Include discussions with the writers about the book and other important social issues in the AAPI community.
That’s what Greenlight Bookstore did for their recent Story Time with Qing Zhuang event.
Inspired by Qing Zhuang’s experience as a first-generation Chinese American, the story time session gave her a chance to share Rainbow Shopping — a unique and tender book she created exploring a young child’s feelings of loneliness and discovery.
7. Kamayan brunch
Kamayan is a traditional Filipino buffet featuring seafood, grilled meats, vegetables, and garlic rice served on banana leaves.
As an event organizer, this is the perfect opportunity to work with a local Filipino chef to prepare a Kamayan brunch that celebrates the culture.
Want to turn your Kamayan meal into a more immersive event? Check out Maricel’s Kitchen and their 20-dish Kamayan Feast event.
Their event theme weaved together food and community bonding over a huge shared feast to create a genuinely unique Filipino affair that you couldn’t find anywhere else.
Ideas to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month at work
We’ve already talked about the major contributions people of AAPI origin have made to the world of business — so it’s definitely worth organizing AAPI Month activities at work. They give teams the chance to reflect on amazing cultures and celebrate AAPI employees together.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few AAPI event ideas we love:
8. Calligraphy workshop
Introduce Chinese and Japanese calligraphy to attendees at a calligraphy workshop hosted by a professional. Participants can learn to write calligraphy on rice paper using traditional brushes and ink.
The Institute of Arts & Humanities in San Diego does an amazing job organizing craft classes and workshops like this.
Their recent Chinese Calligraphy Workshop brought in an expert from the San Diego Botanic Garden to do a live demonstration before guests practiced the ancient art of calligraphy for themselves.
9. Taiko drumming workshop
Why not introduce Taiko, a variety of Japanese percussion instruments, at your Heritage Month event? Experienced drummers can demonstrate taiko drumming, and then participants can try it themselves.
We admit this might be a loud work activity, but it sure is a lot of fun!
Just look at Oakland Taiko and their Intro to Taiko: The Art of Traditional Japanese Drumming workshop. The 12+ event split guests into groups, offering multiple taster sessions to show beginners how to get started playing Taiko.
Not familiar with Taiko? take a look at how to pros at Oakland Taiko do it:
10. Historical presentations
Encourage learning by hosting historical presentations about AAPI cultures.
Invite featured speakers to discuss specific cultural traditions or share Asian experiences. Such an event can broaden the community’s understanding of Asian American history and cultures across a variety of Asian countries.
Nobody does this better than the Museum of Chinese in America.
Their 公众导览：千里之行——历华人旅程，写美国历史 event included guided tours of the museum exploring Chinese in America from the 19th century right through to the present day — exploring unique artifacts and sparking serious discussion every step of the way.
11. Boba tea class
Host a workshop where participants can learn how to make boba tea and sample different flavors.
What is boba tea? It’s more widely known in the West as “bubble tea.” It’s a unique drink that combines tea with chewy tapioca balls. Boba tea has surged in popularity over the last decade, and a tea class is a quick and easy way to bring AAPI Month into the workplace.
For a unique take on this idea, consider Imagination Station Studio and its monthly Paint Night & Boba Tea at Viet Cafe event series.
In addition to learning about and enjoying some world-class boba tea, guests then created their own works of art under the guidance of a talented instructor.
12. Tea-tasting workshop
Looking for a cultural tea experience that’s a little more traditional (and less bubbly)? Set up a traditional tea-tasting workshop and let guests learn how to prepare and enjoy tea from China or Japan.
Teach them how to prepare tea using a gaiwan, a traditional Chinese brewing and drinking vessel. You can even host a traditional tea ceremony demonstration during the workshop.
If you’re looking for a little inspiration in this department, check out AZ Networking’s Ceremonial Tea Tasting: A Melody of Flavors with City-Oceanview Grace event series.
Each session gave guests the opportunity to experience a ceremonial tea tasting — unlocking traditional flavors and teaching attendees about tea customs while doubling as a networking opportunity.
13. AAPI book club or reading group
Host a book club or reading group focused on works by AAPI authors or books on topics important to this community.
You could even base your entire club around a particular book like Sidetrack Bookshop did for its SciFi/Fantasy Book Club. Their club focused on Japanese-American Yume Kitasei and her sci-fi thriller debut, The Deep Sky.
If you want to offer this as a virtual event, consider setting up a hybrid book club so that eventgoers can participate in a virtual discussion moderated by an author, teacher, or expert, sharing their thoughts on the selected work.
And if you’re on the hunt for more virtual activities to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, don’t worry — we’ve got you covered.
Virtual activities to celebrate AAPI Month
Want to bring in special guest speakers or entertainers from the other side of the globe? Organizing a virtual event might be your best bet.
Virtual events can be just as impactful as in-person gatherings, allowing you to celebrate AAPI culture, traditions, and values in creative ways.
Here are a few virtual AAPI Month activities your online attendees will love:
14. Ancestral tracing webinar
Invite participants to explore their roots at an ancestral tracing webinar. They can learn about how to trace their AAPI genealogy and how to find out more about their roots.
That’s what the California Genealogical Society did for their 2025 Intro to Genealogy sessions.
This free online event series allowed guests to log in remotely and learn the basics of genealogy, how to use the census to conduct research, and where to access vital records to conduct family research.
Setting up webinars is a simple yet effective way to educate attendees and create fun, interactive workshops.
15. Cooking demonstrations
Asian and Pacific Island cuisine is some of the most creative and delicious in the world — so why not organize a cooking demonstration for remote team members or attendees?
Virtual cooking demonstrations showcase AAPI cuisines and teach eventgoers how to prepare traditional dishes. Feature a professional chef and stream the demonstration so that attendees can follow along from their own kitchens.
You could either teach guests a range of different Asian dishes or focus on giving just one dish all the love and attention it deserves. That’s what Ploy’s Kitchen did for their Making Hand-Pulled Noodles from Scratch Cooking Class.
This online event saw Thai native and professionally trained chef Ploy Khunisorn walk guests through the process of creating Biang Biang and Lamian hand-pulled noodles from scratch — and the end result looked incredible.
16. AAPI trivia
Host a virtual trivia night that’s centered on cultural history and traditions. Attendees can participate individually or as teams to answer questions about AAPI culture — and perhaps learn something new at the same time.
Your quiz could cover a range of AAPI cultures, or just focus on one country or aspect of culture like the National Portrait Gallery’s Trivia Night: AANHPI Heritage Month event.
This challenge tested guests on their knowledge of AAPI arte — and you could create your own interactive version as a virtual event by streaming an arts collection and then quizzing guests on the names of artists or eras.
17. Bias talks
A virtual bias talk serves as an opportunity to reflect on the stereotypes and issues faced by the AAPI community.
These talks also provide an opportunity to reflect on ways to combat and overcome AAPI bias. Invite a community leader, a clergy member, or a civil liberties expert to moderate this important discussion.
For example, Odyssey Bookshop brought in author Oi Yan Poon and host Pawan Dhingra to talk about her enlightening book Asian American is Not a Color. Using the book as a starting point, the event agenda sparked unique conversations on racial inequalities and Asian American identity.
18. Family history workshop
Host a virtual family history workshop where participants learn how to gain insight into traditions, culture, and more from their elders. By listening to and documenting their relatives’ stories, attendees can better understand their past.
If you’re looking for a really cool version of this idea, check out Tariki Trust and their Rewilding Folktales: Nature Perspectives from the Jataka Tales event.
This online event focused on passing down a collection of Buddhist folk tales that have been passed down for centuries — helping to continue its legacy.
19. Healing and self-care evening
A trained expert can offer guided meditation and breathing exercises focused on healing, self-care, and well-being. Or, they can introduce participants to traditional techniques, such as Chinese acupressure, that can alleviate stress.
You could even curate your event specifically for people of AAPI origin like Coach TK did for his online coaching series: Empowering First-Gen Asian Immigrants.
These free virtual sessions emphasized goal-setting and identity to support first-generation Asian immigrants harness their dreams.
20. Host a virtual speaker panel
Host a virtual speaker panel discussion featuring participants from the AAPI community. They can discuss a variety of topics centered around Asian American culture, Asian identity, or issues facing AAPI communities in America today.
For example, JiVA Mental Health’s Being Brown, Being Well: Conversations on Mental Health webinar series focused on important mental health topics affecting the South Asian American community.
Bringing in a range of speakers, the online event covered topics like mindfulness, exploring love and relationships, and family dynamics to help support guests. You could even set up virtual breakout sessions at your speaker panel so that guests have a chance to ask questions and share their own experiences.
Pro tips to sell out your AAPI Month 2025 event
Once you’ve settled on the AAPI Month activities, it’s time to consider how you’re planning and promoting them to ensure your event is successful and meaningful.
To get a few pro tips on how you can achieve this, we sat down with Chrislyn Choo, Community Lead at My China Roots — an organization that helps the Chinese diaspora trace and preserve their rich histories through a variety of in-person and virtual events.
Here’s her advice for creators as they plan Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month events:
21. Create a welcoming atmosphere
Choo recommends you approach your event plans with curiosity.
“Taking time to reflect on my brick walls and breakthroughs gives me clarity on how to frame and design events,” she says.
Choo creates a welcoming atmosphere by reaching out to her community to co-host events and lead conversations. So, as you plan your celebration, reach out to your network and key stakeholders to welcome input and feedback.
“Draw upon the collective wisdom in the room,” she says. “Your peers are all potential event partners with a perspective you can platform.”
22. Offer an authentic experience
Choo’s organization achieves authenticity by being “intentional in using language that evokes the human spirit of wonder and discovery,” she says.
She challenges creators to consider how authentic experience can reflect on AAPI history and traditions in honest ways.
“As we innovate, how do we support events that preserve familiar stories (e.g., honoring the history of the Chinese railroad workers, exploring the legacy of Japanese internment)… while also welcoming events that explore liminal intersectionalities and experiment with new technologies (e.g., spotlighting NFT art by diaspora artists, fostering dialogue between Asian and Black communities)?”
23. Celebrate culture and traditions
Finally, your AAPI Heritage Month event can and should be a celebration of cultures and traditions. This begins by understanding historical moments and traditions and honoring them respectfully and appropriately at your event.
No matter what you choose to celebrate at your event, Choo offers this advice:
“Don’t cancel the ‘traditional’ stories of the past that ‘everyone knows.’ But don’t be afraid to reimagine what’s possible and translate stories from the margins of our AAPI communities.”
Above all, she recommends you “listen with an open mind and heart” as you plan an AAPI Heritage Month event for your community.
“What matters to the community? What is making us dance and cry? What needs to be seen, said, or heard? What can we learn from each other here? If it feels uncomfortable, lean in. Approach the event you’re planning as a conversation with the mosaic voices of your community — and remember to include yours too!”
Ready to start planning AAPI Month activities?
It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to plan a large community festival, a virtual cultural heritage event, or simply want a few AAPI Month activities to organize at work — there are plenty of opportunities to get involved.
Just remember to create a welcoming space, aim to create an authentic cultural awareness experience for guests, and make sure you’re honoring the traditions that your event is looking to share. AAPI Heritage Month is the perfect way to educate others and bring communities together, and Eventbrite is here to lend a helping hand.
By partnering with Eventbrite, you can set up a custom event page, create and sell event tickets, build custom seating plans, and use social integrations on Facebook and TikTok to promote your event and reach your target audience faster.
