An employee from the Boba Love food truck hands an order to a customer during the 4th Annual Taste of AAPI festival on Saturday, May 3, 2025, in the West Bottoms district of Kansas City. The event celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with food vendors, cultural performances and community activities.
Emily Curiel
ecuriel@kcstar.com
Kansas City celebrated the fourth annual Taste of AAPI Food & Cultural Festival on Saturday, in the West Bottoms as a part of the neighborhood’s First Friday weekend celebration.
May was chosen to honor the immigration of the first Japanese citizens to the United States on May 7, 1843, according to The Library of Congress. It was also chosen to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869, much of which was built by Chinese immigrants.
Kansas Citians at Taste of AAPI enjoyed beautiful spring weather to accompany the foods from vendors representing many Asian and Pacific Island communities. See photos from the event here:
A visitor takes a video of their shaved ice while attending the 4th Annual Taste of AAPI festival. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
A visitor eats a bowl of pho at Taste of AAPI festival. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
Malachi Daniels takes a bite of his food while attending the 4th Annual Taste of AAPI festival. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
Visitors eat short ribs from the Dragon Wagon food truck Taste of AAPI festival. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
Visitors eat at a continuous row of tables set up for communal dining during the 4th Annual Taste of AAPI festival on Saturday, May 3, 2025, in the West Bottoms district of Kansas City. The event celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with food vendors, cultural performances and community activities. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
Previous reporting by Joseph Hernandez contributed.
Emily Curiel, is a visual journalist at The Star. With a broad scope of coverage, Curiel navigates subjects including breaking news, sports, features and long-form narratives. She is a first-generation graduate from San Francisco State University and a native of Los Angeles.
