Destination Asia FestivalDestination Asia Festival
Explore the diverse cultures of Asia through music, dance, food, and trees.
Content Detail
On Saturday, August 1, and Sunday, August 2, bring your family and friends to The Morton Arboretum to explore the cultures and traditions of Asia during the annual Destination Asia Festival.
Taste delicious food from local vendors, enjoy live music, and take in traditional dances and performances celebrating the diversity of Asian cultures.
Highlights
The Destination Asia Festival is a weekend-long event featuring arts demonstrations, musical and cultural performances, and interactive activities for all ages.
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Food trucks will be on-site selling food and beverages throughout the event.
The festival takes place along ADA accessible, paved walking paths of the Visitor Center area, Meadow Lake Trail, and the Conifer Walk.
Tickets
Admission to the Destination Asia Festival is included with Arboretum general admission.
Bonsai Show
The Prairie State Bonsai Society is proud to present an exhibition of bonsai at The Morton Arboretum’s Destination Asia Festival. View a display of mature bonsai trees and trees in training at the Bonsai Show on Saturday, August 1, and Sunday, August 2, 2026.
Temperate Asia Collection and Global Tree Conservation
The Morton Arboretum maintains and celebrates its strong, enduring ties to Asia through its living tree and plant collections and its global research collaborations. The Arboretum’s Temperate Asia Collection includes many trees and shrubs from temperate Asian countries—including China, Japan, and Korea—which share a climate similar to the Midwest. Arboretum scientists and conservation practitioners work in partnership with experts across Asia to advance tree science, conservation, and forest management in a rapidly changing world.
Festival Schedule and Map
A map and festival schedule will be available closer to the event date.
Bonsai Show and Workshops
The Prairie State Bonsai Society is proud to present an exhibition of bonsai at The Morton Arboretum’s Destination Asia Festival. Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing and developing trees and other woody-stemmed plants in pots. View a display of mature bonsai trees and trees in training at the Bonsai Show on Saturday, August 1, and Sunday, August 2.
Bonsai Workshops
Discover the art of bonsai, develop your styling and wiring skills, or receive advice on your own bonsai tree. Bonsai workshops take place on-site at The Morton Arboretum on Saturday, August 1, and Sunday, August 2.
Food and Drinks
Food Trucks
Food and beverages will be available to purchase from food trucks. Details will be available closer to the event date.
Ginkgo Restaurant and Café
Food and beverages are available at the Ginkgo Restaurant and the Ginkgo Café, both located in the Visitor Center.
The Ginkgo Restaurant is a sit-down restaurant that offers a full dinner and beverage menu, including freshly made sandwiches, salads, burgers, and assorted alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. The restaurant is open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekends.
Freshly made packaged salads and sandwiches, bakery items, espresso beverages, hot tea, and drip coffee are available at the Ginkgo Café, open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 pm.
Accessibility
The Destination Asia Festival takes place along the paved walking paths of the Visitor Center area, Meadow Lake Trail, and the Conifer Walk. These paths are fully accessible for wheelchairs and walkers but do include a few hills. The stages will be located on the grassy areas near these walking trails.
