On August 23rd, the largest and most diverse parent-child carnival in Northern California, the 15th International Kids’N Fun Festival (KFF), was held at Cupertino Memorial Park, attracting thousands of families of different ethnicities to come together and enjoy the festive atmosphere.
Organized by the Northern California Taiwan Culture and Sports Association, this year’s festival theme was “DREAM BIG.” Association president Lin Hongda expressed gratitude for the 15 years of celebrating multicultural diversity with families, friends, and the community. He specially thanked all sponsors, performers, partners, over two hundred volunteers, and every single attendee for their support.
During the opening ceremony, representatives from various countries paraded around the event area holding their national flags, led by the flag of the Republic of China and lion dance teams, creating a vibrant scene.
Under the radiant sun, over 130 tents were scattered throughout the park, creating a lively atmosphere. By mid-morning, parents had already brought their children to the “Dream Big Village” to experience various career roles such as firefighters, soldiers, lawyers, engineers, and dentists.
The most popular booth was the “Cake Artisan,” where children joyfully decorated mini cakes with cream and sugar. The owner of DH Cake Studio, He Siyong, who is also an insurance agent at New York Life, combined cake art with an insurance experience to create a dual-themed booth. She aimed to educate children on the importance of insurance in careers and life through games like “opening a cake shop” and decorating desserts.
The International Village featured participation from 14 countries including Taiwan, the United States, Peru, Uzbekistan, Japan, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, India, Kyrgyzstan, France, Turkey, Vietnam, South Korea, and Israel, showcasing their unique costumes, crafts, toys, cuisine, and culture like a miniature world expo.
Qudrat Rahimhodzhayev, chairman of the San Francisco Bay Area Uzbek Cultural Center, participating for the second time, expressed his excitement about showcasing Uzbek culture and traditions, calling the festival an exciting event.
Kayla Lam from Vietnam brought her five daughters to perform for the first time, praising the festival for its variety of booths, food, and family-friendly activities. She particularly looked forward to her daughters’ performance as a group called Purple Sisters.
Local booths were equally engaging. “Hakka Come as Guests” demonstrated traditional musical instruments like the coconut shell, gongs, and drums, as well as small floral umbrellas and bookmarks made from Hakka printed cloth. Organizer Wen Huiting hoped to attract more younger generations to appreciate Hakka culture through exquisite works and music performances.
The “Mom’s Classroom” offered flower world handicrafts and light clay 3D creations, beloved by children. Interviewed grandma Lieg noted this was her first time bringing her grandson, finding the event creative as even young children could participate in crafts and have a fun time.
On the main stage, performances ranged from lion dances, hula dances, Korean dances, South Indian classical dances, Vietnamese fashion shows, Japanese dances, Azerbaijani and Ukrainian dances, to kung fu demonstrations, showcasing the beauty of multiculturalism.
A noteworthy performance was by the National Chung Cheng Junior High Folk Sports Class from Taiwan, showcasing jump rope, spinning top, and diabolo acts. Students Huang Ruien and Zhu Pinyu, who had prepared for two to three months, found the atmosphere more lively and heartwarming than they had imagined. They noted the outgoing and lively nature of Americans, the dry climate compared to Taiwan’s humid heat, and the delicious food in both places.
In addition to cultural booths and stage performances, there were exciting activities like drone flights, miniature trains, pony rides, inflatable castles, animal parks, goldfish scooping, axe throwing, and pinball machines. The food offerings were diverse, ranging from Taiwanese popcorn chicken, shaved ice, bubble tea, stinky tofu, braised pork rice, wheel cakes, to French crepes, cotton candy, Filipino BBQ, Hawaiian cuisine, catering to the taste buds of both kids and adults.
Dignitaries present at the event included Deputy Director Zhu Yongchang from the San Francisco Consulate, Director Zhuang Yashu and Deputy Director Cai Jiahua from the Overseas Chinese Teaching Center, Cupertino Mayor Zhao Liangfang, California State Assembly members Patrick Ahrens and representatives from Victoria Low, Sunnyvale City Councilor Charlise Chang, and Jerry Liu, chairman of the Cupertino Union School District Board.