The Viet Cultural Fest, a celebration of Vietnamese heritage, made its debut in 2019 in Houston, but hasn’t returned since due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, after a four-year hiatus, the event is making a comeback with its second showing on September 16 at NRG Center.

This year’s theme is “The Taste of Vietnam.” Attendees will be transported to the country with Vietnamese dishes like bún bò Huế and phở, all while enjoying local artists performing traditional music, Vietnamese martial arts demonstrations, and other cultural showcases and events.

Teresa Trinh, executive board president of the Vietnamese Culture and Science Association and organizer of the event, says this year’s theme is a way to shine a spotlight on lesser-known parts of the culture.

“The theme was chosen because we are wanting to highlight all the different types of Vietnamese food,” Trinh says. “People are very familiar with phở and bánh mì but there are so many different types of foods.”

The idea for the fest came during one of the association’s yearly Youth Leadership Camps where attendees were tasked with creating a cultural festival. One of the submissions became the groundwork for the Viet Cultural Fest. Despite the four-year break, Trinh expects the event to pick back up like it never left.

“It was received very well from people in the Vietnamese community along with those that are outside of the Vietnamese community within the Houston area and we had over 5,000 attendees in our first year,” Trinh says. “This year we’re hoping to double it.”

The fest will include multiple contests. During a blindfolded boba tasting, competitors will try to guess different flavors of the teas presented to them. A phở-eating contest will determine who can eat a big bowl of the staple soup in the fastest time. An art contest is also in the works: professional and amateur Vietnamese American artists in Texas are encouraged to pre-submit pieces around the concept of “dream.” The artwork will be judged for the chance to win up to $400. Winners of the food and drink competitions will be awarded cash prizes ranging from $50 to $200. There will be cooking classes where local chefs like Nikki Tran of Kâu Ba will teach attendees how to make Vietnamese dishes like bánh mì and spring rolls with dipping sauce. Guests can play games like Cờ Tướng, a classic Vietnamese chess game, and compete in Việt Trivia.

The Viet Cultural Fest will also have various food vendors on-site, including Kim Son, Chez Beignet, Bobo Tea, Lien’s Viet, Kâu Ba, and Saigon Arts Matcha. Medical providers will be giving out free checkups and flu shots to those in attendance.

The fest is a family-friendly event, offering a little bit of something for everyone. The boba contest is limited to those 18 and older, while the art contest is for ages six and up; the phở contest and Cờ Tướng tournament are open to all ages. Although the Miss Teen Viet pageant is for teens 15 to 17, there’s a clothing contest for kids five to 11, allowing the younger ones to proudly display their cultural attire and keep traditions alive.

The Viet Cultural Fest is also going to be an opportunity for guests to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival that takes place around this time of year. “It’s very similar to the harvest festivals but it’s primarily a children’s festival where they do a parade of lanterns,” Trinh explains. “There is also a story that goes with it about the Man in the Moon.”

This festival transcends cultural boundaries and is open to the general public. Trinh invites all Houstonians to join the celebration and experience the vibrant traditions of a community that has become an integral part of Houston.

“The Vietnamese population of Houston is the largest outside of the state of California and it’s important to showcase one of the largest, if not the largest, Asian community within the city of Houston. It just shows the diversity of the city,” Trinh says.

Presale tickets are on sale for $10 and door tickets will also be available day of for $15. Those who would like to participate in any of the event’s activities are encouraged to sign up prior to the event.