WHEREAS, for 10 years, VietFest, an annual Vietnamese heritage festival in Northern Virginia, has celebrated the history, culture, and contributions of the Commonwealth's Vietnamese American community; and

WHEREAS, VietFest is organized by the National Organization for Vietnamese American Leadership of Greater Washington, D.C., a service-based nonprofit organization that promotes awareness of the Vietnamese American community in the region and uplifts young people through outreach and leadership development programs; and

WHEREAS, now held at The Plaza at Tysons Corner Center, VietFest was established in 2012 and was originally a small event located in a parking lot at George Mason University; it is now the largest cultural gathering of Vietnamese Americans in the mid-Atlantic; and

WHEREAS, VietFest has grown to welcome thousands of guests each year, including a record 30,000 attendees in 2022, when the festival returned from a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, VietFest features numerous cultural exhibitions and performances, including a lion dance, a martial arts presentation, a traditional ao dai fashion show, crawfish and pho eating competitions, local food vendors, beauty pageants, and a talent show; and

WHEREAS, the theme of VietFest 2023 was "Back to the Culture," and to commemorate the festival's 10th anniversary, organizers created a heritage wall filled with photos from previous VietFests; and

WHEREAS, VietFest unites the Vietnamese American community in Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland, but also demonstrates the diversity of the region by welcoming guests of all nationalities and backgrounds to celebrate the unique music, food, art, and culture of Vietnam, as well as celebrate the contributions of Vietnamese Americans to Virginia and region; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That VietFest hereby be commended on the occasion of its 10th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the National Organization for Vietnamese American Leadership of Greater Washington, D.C., as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the success of VietFest and the important contributions of Vietnamese Americans to the Commonwealth and the United States.