The Vietnamese Culture and Science Association (VCSA) will host the fifth annual Việt Cultural Fest this September. Now the largest Vietnamese festival in Texas, the event is set to feature exhibitions, tastings, competitions, live performances, an artist alley, and more!
Carrying the theme “Phù Đổng Thiên Vương — When Courage Calls, Giants Rise,” drawn from the legend of Saint Gióng, the festival will feature an artist alley, live performances, workshops, competitions, and more.
Creative and heritage programming includes an Art Contest, a Children’s Traditional Dress Contest, and an expanded Artist Alley for makers. Live performances at the festival include finalists in the Ngôi Sao Tài Năng Việt Talent Contest and the Miss Teen Việt Cultural Fest Scholarship Pageant. Fruit Tree Grafting Workshops led by the Houston Fruit Tree & Gardening Group will run at 11:30 am. and 2:00 pm.
More than a dozen contests and workshops are open to the public at this year’s festival. Competitive highlights include a Phở Eating Contest ($20 entry), a Blind Boba Tasting Contest and Blind Coffee Tasting Contest ($20 each), as well as a Cooking Competition in which teams of three to five prepare cá kho tộ and canh chua against the clock ($50 per team).
Furthermore, the festival will feature a Cờ Tướng / Chinese Chess Tournament and a Simultaneous Chess Exhibition where up to 60 pre-registered players to face Woman Candidate Master Tega Mandy Enarevba with the chance to win prizes.
Additionally, the festival will host fast-paced Việt Trivia challenge as well as the FTC in 6 Hours: BioBuzz Challenge in which FIRST Tech Challenge teams compete to design, build, program, and compete with a working robot in a single six-hour sprint.
This year’s event coincides with VCSA marking 35 years of service to Houston’s Vietnamese American community. Founded in 2019 by three young Vietnamese Americans, Việt Cultural Fest paused during the COVID-19 pandemic before returning in 2023 and expanding each year since.
The Viet Cultural Fest takes place on September 12 at the Reliant Center (1 NRG Park, Houston). Admission is priced $15 general (ages 4+); $12 for seniors 65+ and groups of 10 or more. Full contest registration, vendor applications, and tickets are available at vietculturalfest.org. Sponsor and vendor applications close August 28; Artist Alley applications close August 30.