The spice draws you in. The stories connect us.
One Ticket. Three Festivals.
Step into Southeast Asian stories through theater you can taste and a living cultural hub of art, makers, games, founders, and more.
Your ticket also unlocks two major festivals at the same venue — enjoy 100+ food booths at the Asian Foodie Festival, and discover more brands and food samples at the USA Asian Culture & Food Expo.
Come curious. Leave connected.
Welcome to the Kampong
Kampong means "village" in Malay, and harkens back to a time when doors stayed open, meals were shared, and neighbors looked out for
one another.
That spirit lives at the heart of Spice & Story, and comes to life through two signature experiences: Kampong Kopi and Kampong Gallery.
Step into a kopitiam (coffeeshop) on its opening day: steam rising, flour in the air, and a crew racing to find the taste of home before it slips away. Kampong Kopi, USA is a 20-minute interactive play where you're not just watching from the sidelines, you're part of the action itself. Come curious, come hungry, and help us find what was never written down.
Every kampong needs a place to gather, and this is ours. Kampong Gallery is a living cultural space that celebrates the creativity of Southeast Asia. Wander through an art exhibition, browse a marketplace of local makers, try familiar foods and new flavors, sit down with founders and entrepreneurs, or just find a comfortable corner to rest and swap stories. Come explore at your own pace and leave with a little more than you came with.
Explore Kampong GalleryKampong Kopi, USA
Step into Kampong Kopi's opening day, where Zara races to recover a taste of home that was never written down.
Kampong Kopi, USA is an original 20-minute interactive play where you don't just watch the story unfold — you become part of it, with five small tastings woven into the experience.
Come curious. Come hungry. Come ready to be part of the story.
Welcome to our Kampong. We invite you to wander and wonder at the creativity, vibrancy and diversity that is Southeast Asia. Inside, you'll find six areas worth exploring:
More than an art gallery—it's a journey. Explore stunning paintings, immersive murals, larger-than-life installations, and interactive experiences that invite you to see, hear, and feel Southeast Asia. ✨ Experience Art That Tells a Story. 🕒 20–25 mins
Every booth tells a story Meet the artists, makers, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and community leaders preserving traditions, inspiring innovation, and building stronger Southeast Asian communities. ✨ Meet the Faces Behind the Culture 🕒 15–30 mins
Where tomorrow's ideas begin. Hear inspiring founders, innovators, and changemakers share how they're building the future of Southeast Asian communities. ✨ Be Inspired. Spark New Possibilities. 🕒 30–45 mins
Learn more
Don't just watch—make something. Print your own artwork, paint batik, create keepsakes, and take home a piece of Southeast Asia. ✨ Take your handmade artwork home 🕒 30–40 mins
Play like the old kampong days. Rediscover the joy of traditional Southeast Asian games through hands-on challenges, bamboo dancing, puzzles, Zero Point, and exciting prizes for all ages. ✨ Play, Laugh & Win Together 🕒 15–30 mins
Your adventure begins here. Collect stamps as you explore six immersive experiences, complete fun challenges, unlock hidden surprises, and create unforgettable memories along the way. ✨ Collect all six stamps to earn exclusive prizes! 🕒 Throughout your visit
Comfortable seating, quiet corners, and communal tables mean Kampong Gallery is also a place of respite from the festival's bustle. Grab a bite at Kopi Club after the play, swap stories with a stranger, or take a breather and gather your thoughts. Come as you are. Stay as long as you like.
Your Spice & Story ticket also unlocks two major festivals at the same venue.
Take the ultimate Asian culinary & cultural journey at the Asian Foodie Festival and the Asian Food Expo.
One Spice & Story Ticket. Three Festivals.
Countless Stories.
Wander the portrait wall — leaders, makers, storytellers, and technologists shaping the experience.
Long before there were event planners, there were neighbors.
To bring Spice & Story to life, we need big-hearted people who believe in showing up for one another.
Our Kampong Heroes might offer a ride, host an out-of-town volunteer, loan a TV or AV equipment, share storage or build space, help assemble props, or lend a hand wherever it is needed most.
Through shared spaces and generous hands, we build this kampong!
Stories have a remarkable way of bringing people closer.
These everyday moments help us understand one another in ways facts and history alone cannot.
Spice & Story was created to celebrate the richness of Southeast Asian stories while creating opportunities for people of all backgrounds to learn, create, play, and connect through shared experiences.
Culture is not something you simply observe. It is something you experience together.
Spice & Story is presented by Kampong Collective, a California nonprofit dedicated to preserving and sharing Southeast Asian culture through public programs, cultural celebrations, and creative experiences that foster understanding across generations and communities.
Together with artists, community partners, volunteers, and supporters, we are building a cultural platform that inspires curiosity, strengthens relationships, and creates space for stories that deserve to be shared.
Spice & Story is made possible through the generous support of Singapore Global Network, our Lead Sponsor; OMG Group, our Festival Host Partner; and our strategic, program, and community partners — Singapore Connect, Live Stage Productions, Artvocate, Pitch Global, Silicon Valley Access, Dabao Singapore, MySelera Bistro, Mama Judy, Canvia, SKC, iR!DESCENT BATIK STUDIO, and more.
Come curious. Leave connected.
August 15 & 16 · San Mateo Event Center
One Ticket. Three Festivals. Countless Stories.
