A trip to China usually lasts a couple of weeks and can cost thousands of dollars.
Or it could mean a short car ride and free admission.
A $5,000 grant has made it possible for Gainesville to hold China Fest from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Thomas Center Sunday.
Attendees can look forward to Chinese music, art, acrobatics, martial arts and free food.
David Ballard, event coordinator for the city of Gainesville, said he was particularly excited about the entertainment.
Musician Haiqiong Deng will be playing two concerts for the event on the zheng, a 21- or 26-string plucked instrument. Deng has performed in China, Singapore and the United States, including Carnegie Hall, according to a news release from the Gainesville Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.
Liang, a two-time gold medal winner in international acrobatic competitions, will also be performing, the release stated.
Ballard, who was a featured entertainer nationwide and abroad before coming to Gainesville, said he would be performing a traditional Chinese hoop and umbrella juggling routine.
China Fest will also include brush-painting and calligraphy demonstrations, colorful lion dances, martial-arts demonstrations and a giant Chinese dragon puppet, the release stated.
The grant, which will pay for part of the festival, was received from the Smithsonian Community Grant program in early September with help from UF's Asian Studies Program.
The Asian Studies Program is also co-sponsoring the Smithsonian traveling photography exhibition "Documenting China: Photography and Social Change" at the Thomas Center Main Gallery.
"I'm just so excited for people to come in and see everything we have," Ballard said. "According to the weather forecast, it's looking like a beautiful day."
