Organizers of the annual Wausau Hmong Festival are anticipating a larger crowd than its inaugural year.

In 2017, the festival drew more than 8,000 people from around the country and generated a total of $1.03 million in economic impact.

“This is another cool and unique events that make Wausau as wonderful as it is," shared Mayor Robert Mielke with the City of Wausau. “The Hmong community is a very large part of our community and they represent 12% of the population of Wausau.”

Many that attended were shocked to see how much the festival has grown since the first year.

“What I love the most are the food vendors,” added Mariana Torress. “You don’t get to see this much exposure to the Hmong community.”

Torress traveled from Manitowoc for the weekend to participate in the weekend of fun with her friends and family. She says she enjoys watching the singing and dancing competitions that take place on the main stage. Meanwhile, thousands of others enjoy watching the flag football, soccer or volleyball teams compete in the Badger State Games.

“I love that I can celebrate my culture and spread awareness,” stated a local festival attendee, Melissa Yang.

Located at the Eastbay Sports Complex, dozens of people have set up camping sites so they can spend the night.

"This event shows the type of relationship the Hmong community has with Central Wisconsin,” said Yee Leng Xiong, Chairperson of the Wausau Hmong Festival.

The event runs from Saturday, July 28 and 29 from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.