The Penn State Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Caucus is holding a festival Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at MLK Plaza in downtown State College as an early Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration.
Nalini Krishnankutty worked closely with the Penn State APIDA group to put the festival together, and she said it will be an opportunity for locals to experience different cultures.
She said she hopes the festival will help create a sense of belonging for Asian and Pacific Islanders living in central Pennsylvania.
"In State College, for example, or in Centre County, this is one of the larger under-represented groups," Krishnankutty said. "It's like claiming the space as their own — making it their own."
Along with fun activities, Krishnankutty said the festival will have a table with mental health resources.
"It's not easy to find care, especially in the mental health space," she said. "You can't always find people of color to go to to get help."
Entrance to the event is free, and there will be cultural food, live music and art for visitors to check out.