Whether seeking novel experiences, family fun or comfort food, the Oakland Asian Cultural Center’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival 2010 promises a full compliment of arts, food, events and the unique cultural blends for which the Bay Area is famous.

The festival runs from May 19 to June 5, with a string of events and performances, all of which are produced and held at the center - OACC - 388 Ninth St., Suite 290, in Oakland. 

The upcoming culinary workshops are a great draw - so much so that participants are limited to 15 and asked to register a week in advance (by calling April Kim at (510) 637-0462). Two traditions will be featured - using local, seasonal and fresh ingredients - which will be consumed for lunch after the workshop.

The first, "Filipino Regional Vegetarian," will be from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 22, and features such mouthwatering projects as a peanut stew with banana hearts, among others. Aileen Suzara, who is featured in The Colors of Nature: Growing Up Filipino, will present the workshop.

"Chinese Soups for Health," (featured two Saturdays??) also from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., on June 5, takes a closer look at Western adaptations to the traditional recipes emigrants brought with them from South China. The workshop features an Eastern philosophical approach to nutrition, as well as the use of local and seasonal produce. The workshop is being offered by Teresa M. Chen, author of A Tradition of Soup: Flavors from China's Pearl River Delta, and Jing Liu, a registered dietitian and university instructor.

The excitement doesn't end with food. Perhaps it is merely a delicious ploy to draw in those who are shy about new cultural experiences. If so, it is sure to work. 

On May 19, there will be a free screening of S. Leo Chiang's A Village Called Versailles beginning at 6:30 p.m. It's about Vietnamese Americans in a New Orleans neighborhood who take on everything from the elements to rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina to developers and government. For a preview before the free screening of this spirit-fortifying film, visit www.avillagecalledversailles.com/press.

On May 27, writers Aimee Suzara, Joel Tan and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha come together for a "Literary Night Celebrating the APIA and LGBT Experience." The trio will all be reading from their own work, with different perspectives on Asian Pacific Islander American and queer experiences. Admission is based on sliding scale donations, with no one being turned away for lack of funds.

For kids and families (and, one hopes, anyone who thinks this is just too cool to pass up), "Asian Arts Together" is a hands-on workshop to learn how to make Japanese paper dolls, Japanese Daruma dolls, Cambodian theater masks, Korean kites, Lunar New Year tiger puppets and Vietnamese dragon mobiles. This free event - from 1 to 3 p.m. May 29 - is open to the public.

Later that evening, at 8 p.m., the jazz and dance performances commence. The Oakland Asian Cultural Center's new artists in residence perform new works separately, and then together. The group Vidya (with Prasant Radhakrishnan on saxophone, David Ewell on bass and Sameer Gupta on drums) will combine jazz improvisation with South Indian Carnatic classical music.

Rina Mehta will then perform a work in the Kathak dance tradition, which, according to the festival's website, "is based on upaj (improvisation), tayari (preparation of technique), layakari (performing and improvising intricate rhythms) and khoobsurti and nazakat (beauty and subtlety of movement and expression). It is a tour-de-force performance of percussive footwork, singing, poetry and acting." Rina will be accompanied by Ben Kunin on sarod, and Salar Nadar on tabla.

The evening culminates in the ensembles performing a piece, a tarana, all together. It promises to be a fascinating interaction between the traditional forms and American Jazz. Admission is $12 for adults; $9 for seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets.

Finally, for those who can't get enough interplay between traditional Indian art forms and jazz, Anthony Brown's Asian American Orchestra presents "India: A Tribute to John Coltrane" the following afternoon, May 30, at 2 p.m. The presentation is inspired by Coltrane's original jazz composition, "India," which in turn was inspired by the work of sitarist Ravi Shankar. It features a fascinating mix of a big band and traditional Indian instruments and is preceded by a panel discussion with contributors to the forthcoming book "John Coltrane and Black America's Quest for Freedom: Spirituality and the Music." Admission is $12 for adults; $8 for seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets.

Interested in both performances? A weekend pass that includes each unique event is $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and students - in essence, offering two unforgettable performances for less than the cost of going to the movies a couple of times. For more information on any of the events, contact April Kim by email or at (510) 637-0462.

All in all, the APA Heritage Festival is an explosion of what promises to be some wonderful cultural experiences. Sharing them promises to be wonderful in itself.