Detor, who lives in Gates, said the annual Memorial Art Gallery event is a good chance to revisit her native Vietnamese culture, but it's the opportunities it offers her 9-year-old daughter, Elizabeth Gibb, that she really relishes. Detor adopted Elizabeth from China at 14 months old.

"I want to make sure she's exposed to her heritage so she can value her background and learn about the different countries in the region she was born in," Detor said.

Just inside the entrance of the gallery, a troupe in brightly colored Indian outfits festooned with tiny bells danced a semi-classical routine with a Bollywood flair. Prashanthi Menon, a 28-year-old doctoral student at the University of Rochester, was part of the group.

Menon moved to the United States six years ago and said performing at the event is a good cultural reminder.

"It basically connects you back to your roots, and it feels good to perform in front of such a diverse crowd," Menon said backstage, while preparing for her next dance.

Debora McDell-Hernandez, the gallery's coordinator of community programs and outreach, said the event is one of the gallery's most popular family days, drawing 1,200 to 1,600 people each year.

She said the gallery holds family days to help draw the connection between the visual art on display at the gallery, and cultural arts like dancing and storytelling that some are more familiar with.

Adding the cultural element like an emphasis on Asian Pacific Americans can also bring new visitors to the gallery.