Culture Calendar
South Asian film festivals and Midwest Asian American culture events.
Chicago, Illinois
Chinatown Summer Fair runs July 25–26, 2026 on Wentworth Avenue with lion dance procession, food vendors, and stage performances.
Image: Chinatown Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Chicago, Illinois
Ginza Holiday runs August 7–9, 2026 at Midwest Buddhist Temple with teriyaki, taiko, demos, and Obon odori dancing.
Image: Midwest Buddhist Temple / Ginza Holiday
Chicago, Illinois
CSAFF's 17th edition runs September 17–20, 2026 in downtown Chicago, showcasing South and Southeast Asian cinema with screenings, panels, galas, and networking across the Midwest film circuit.
Image: Chicago South Asian Film Festival
Past Chicago listings stay up briefly for recaps and next-year bookmarks.
Skokie, Illinois
Japan Fest Chicago runs July 11–12, 2026 at Skokie Sports Park East with taiko, tea ceremony, J-pop, and Japanese street food.
Image: Chicago Japanese American Council / Photo via Eventbrite
Film, TV, music, and culture coverage from Goldscene. Not just what's on the calendar.
What to Watch
Entertainment Weekly reports pushback on Hallmark's All's Fair in Love and Mahjong, with critics pointing to an awkward gap between the game's Asian roots and the leads on screen.
Today's Radar
Taeyeon released a Korean remake of tuki's "Bansanka" on June 29. By early July it hit No. 1 on Bugs and topped Melon's 30-day Hot 100, the first entry in a J-pop cover project built for domestic streaming.
Brand Watch
From Amorepacific labs and early Laneige experiments to Sephora walls and a U.S. market measured in the billions, K-beauty did not go viral overnight. It spent a decade building shelf space, then TikTok did the rest.
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