From Sea to SEA: The NYC Southeast Asian Festival 2026

For AAPI Heritage month, come join us for the second edition of From Sea to SEA: The NYC Southeast Asian Festival. Brought to you in partnership across 12+ different Southeast Asian community orgs across NYC, we are so excited to bring together a day that celebrates the diversity and depth of the Southeast Asian community across NYC.
This will be an immersive lineup featuring ~30 vendors, ~12 different orgs/non-profits, several performances, and multiple sets of cultural activities. Whether you’re Southeast Asian or just SEA-curious, this is your invitation to experience the joy and depth of the Southeast Asian community in NYC.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
THE MARKET: Walk around the market, explore all the small businesses you can support, and talk to the owners who are excited to share their stories behind their brands!
PERFORMANCES: As you're walking around, check out performances from local Southeast Asian artists throughout the day! We will end with a special keynote highlighting the SEA diaspora.
ACTIVITIES: Engage in interactive activities highlighting different aspects of Southeast Asian culture
COMMUNITY ORG SHOWCASE: Meet local SEA community organizations and non-profits in NYC, learn their stories and how you can get engaged!
RAFFLES & MERCH: Throughout the day, there will be different raffles and merch sales. All sales will go towards the continued sustainability of events like this. Win prizes, get fun merch, and support community along the way. You can also pre-order raffles and merch through the SUPPORTER and VIP ticket types.
RAFFLE PRIZES:
Two free JetBlue round-trip flight tickets to any domestic or international JetBlue operated airports. Valid for one year.
Four field-level tickets to the Houston Astros vs New York Yankees game in August as part of the special "Vietnamese Hat Night" the Yankees is running with the Viet Creative Society. Each ticket comes with a custom Yankees hat designed by local Viet fashion designer LexyNiso.
A collection of four $25 gift cards to local Malaysian Restaurant Rasa, one of the best in the city!
...more to come!
Raffle tickets can be purchased in advance with the SUPPORTER or VIP TICKET types or you can purchase individual raffle tickets day-of.
PERFORMER LINE-UP
Richmond Low's Dance Troupe - Watch the beauty of Traditional Malay Dances (Zapin & Joget)
Faye Pattatan & Chan Wannapat - Listen to a duo of fantastic Thai singers (fun fact — Chan is the voice of Mirabel in Disney’s Encanto Thailand)
Juliet by Night - Come see an incredible local Vietnamese singer-songwriter weave dreamy vocals and powerful themes
Words of Southeast Asia (ft. Dena Igusti, Topaz Winters, Sarah Gambito)- Come through for a special reading from local Southeast Asian poets representing Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines
Rhe - Be brought into intimate stories by local Filipina singer-songwriter Rhe
KEYNOTE PERFORMANCE
The event will end with a music score composed just for this event by local Vietnamese composer Hao Le and will be accompanied by dancing from Richmond Low's Dance Troupe and with vocals from Faye Pattatan and Chan Wannapat.
The music score will feature instruments and influences from across Southeast Asia — from the khaen to the đàn bầu to the kubing to gamelan and much more.
VENDORS
A preview of our vendors, who will span across art, business, food, and more... full reveal coming soon!
PeckNOrder
Mishipiku
Trăm Phần Trăm
Mat & Butter
Ipoh Cornerstore
Toast Supper Club
a.piece.of.patsam (Patsam)
Achilles Heat
BK JADE JEWELRY
Nin’s
Art by Alyanna
BUHAYIN
KAZM Design Studio
Dungeon Books
VVINKPIT
UFOPICNIC
Soft Trash
Meg Truong
Kooky Keramics
Kilig Society
Emily Nguyen / @etn.art
Chôm's Nước Chấm
Mixingbowlmama
Mak Yay's
NHẬU Culture
Bếp Nhỏ NYC
Bangkok Bro
ACTIVITIES
Community Mural - As you come in, add your name to a community mural, learn and/or write greetings in different languages, and pin where they're from on a map of Southeast Asia
Ketupat Weaving - Learn this traditional art typically done during Eid in Malaysia as a form of celebration
Batik Making - Malaysian batik is a traditional wax-resist fabric art, primarily produced on the East Coast (Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang)
Dreamlink - Inspired by Filipino weaving traditions, Dream Link is a community artwork that reflects both the casual conversational atmosphere of weaving and the interlacing of separate threads into a unified tapestry
MEET YOUR PARTNERS
This year’s festival is a true collaboration across multiple different orgs thinking thoughtfully about how to bring together the Southeast Asian community:
Viet Creative Society (VCS)
DearCo
Filipino Arts NY
Singapore Unbound
The Malaysian Effect
Thai Theatre Foundation
Tsismosas Collective
Viet Salon
LAOboratory Womxn’s Collective
Mekong NYC
Azn Americana
The Sống Collective
Y.Orosa Literary Society
MERCH
Purchase a one-of-a-kind tote bag day-of or receive one with any VIP ticket!

Pictures from Last Year's Festival (to see the vibe):

Refund Policy:
Tickets are non-refundable, if you can no longer attend then we encourage you to share your ticket with a friend!
Disclaimer:
By attending this event, you consent to being photographed and filmed. Photos and videos may be used for promotional purposes on social media, websites, and other event-related materials. If you prefer not to be photographed, please let a volunteer know.
Follow us on Instagram @fromseatoseanyc!