Rita Strickland

🇱🇦This weekend I had the absolute pleasure of attending my very first Lao New Year Festival and I truly don’t even know how to put the experience into words. From the moment we arrived you could feel the love, tradition, and pride flowing through every part of the festival. The culture is so rich beautiful, and deeply rooted in family and community, and it was incredible getting to witness it firsthand. Seeing everyone dressed in traditional clothing, watching the performances, hearing the music, and experiencing the food and celebrations made this such a special and unforgettable weekend for me🫶🏾🙏🏾👌🏾 One of the highlights was riding with EZ Pedi Cab to the festival🏎️it honestly made the entire experience even more fun and memorable. The energy was amazing from start to finish and it was so good seeing other content creators out supporting and celebrating the community together. What stood out to me most was how hardworking everyone was behind the scenes. From the vendors, performers, organizers, volunteers, and families, you could tell how much dedication and heart went into making this festival happen. Every detail reflected the love they have for preserving and sharing their culture with Kansas City. A huge thank you to Rita and everyone who helped put together the Lao New Year Festival 2026. Events like this bring people together, educate others, and create memories that last forever. I’m beyond grateful that I got to be part of something so meaningful and welcoming. The hospitality, joy, and sense of community were unmatched, and I already can’t wait to come back again next year. Kansas City is truly blessed to have such an amazing cultural celebration like this‼️🤩 #fypシ #kansascity #explore #festival #kcinfluencer

This festival could not have happened without the incredible volunteers, dancers, pageant contestants, and community leaders who poured their hearts into making this celebration so special. ✨ We are beyond thankful for every helping hand, every performance, every late night, every setup, every rehearsal, and every act of love poured into our community. From preserving culture to creating memories for the next generation — this is what community truly looks like. 💛 Thank you for continuing to uplift, support, and celebrate our Lao community together. We see you, appreciate you, and could not do this without you all. 🙏🏽✨

✨ Meet Our 2026 Miss Nang Sangkhan ALL STAR KC Judges ✨ We are honored to welcome an incredible panel of judges to this year’s pageant! 👑🌸 ✨ Antoinette Ebere ✨ Phanomphone Nonprasit ✨ Béty Lê Shackelford ✨ Jackie Nguyen ✨ Sasi Lewis Thank you for bringing your leadership, creativity, culture, and community spirit to help guide and inspire the next Miss Nang Sangkhan KC 💫 🎉 May 15 — Lao New Year Kickoff 👑 May 16 — Pageant at 2PM 💦 May 17 — Blessings & Water Celebration 📍1315 N 139th St, Kansas City, KS 66109 💵 CASH ONLY for parking & vendors #MissNangSangkhanKC #LaoNewYear #KansasCityEvents #AANHPI #KCCommunity LaoFestival MissLao CulturalCelebration SupportLocalKC

We are so excited to have our Media & Public Relations Director @ritavong2004 alongside our current Miss Nang Sang Khan 2025, Xsilynn, and our matriarch @samoneinthavong helping highlight this beautiful celebration of culture, community, and tradition. 💛 A huge thank you to @mykclive , @kerriganarnoldtv and @shanekonicki_tv for always showing love and helping shine a light on our Lao New Year Festival! ✨ ALLIES. LIKE THEM ARE NEEDED! Tomorrow kicks off the festival with food, culture, performances, vendors, and celebration — and Saturday is our Miss Nang Sang Khan Pageant along with even more dancing and festivities you won’t want to miss! 💃🏽🎉💦 📍Wat Lao Kansas City 🌸 Lao New Year Festival | May 15–17 Thank you to @frank_monk for his amazing images and so happy to be able to highlight his work! And give a shoutout to @ezpedicabs ! #LaoNewYear #MissNangSangKhanKC #KansasCityEvents #LaoFestival #KCEvents AANHPI SupportLocalKC. Check it out online! /video/2026/05/14/experience-this-years-lao-new-year-festival/

🎉 We are gearing up for Lao New Year Festival weekend and you do NOT want to miss it! 🇱🇦✨ From cultural performances, pageantry, blessings, water celebrations, delicious food, vendors, music, and community fun — it’s going to be an unforgettable weekend! 💦🌸 🎉 May 15 — Lao New Year Kickoff 👑 May 16 — Miss Nang Sang Khan KC Pageant at 2PM 💦 May 17 — Blessings & Water Celebration 📍1315 N 139th St Kansas City, KS 66109 💵 CASH ONLY for parking & vendors! Huge thank you to @kerriganarnoldtv and @shanekonicki_tv from @mykclive for always being troopers with our random surprises 😂🎥 We appreciate the love and support for our community so much! ❤️ Also loved running into @hellagooddeeds @be_ty_le who is also our pageant judge and @goatandrabbitkc supporting their fundraiser pop-up curated cocktail with @matsumoto_mari_ now through May 30! 🫶✨ Community showing up for community is always the best part. #LaoNewYear #KansasCityEvents #MissNangSangKhanKC #LaoFestival KCEvents SupportLocalKC AANHPI WatLao Community

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, a time to honor the cultures, stories, and communities that shape our city and our nation. We celebrate the food, traditions, and generations who continue to build, uplift, and inspire. Penny’s Gives Back to @hellagooddeeds Dine‑in or carryout on Monday, May 18, 2026, and mention Code: HGD to donate 10% of your purchase toward community impact. Disclaimer: Donations apply only when guests mention the code at checkout. Valid for dine‑in and carryout orders; nonprofit verification required. Funds are distributed within 30 days of the event.

If you ABSOLUTELY love patio season like I do, put a 🤩 in the comments‼️💋🫶🏾 ✅Punjabi Sambosa ✅Paneer Lollipop ✅Chicken Lollipop #fypシ #explore #patioseason #kcinfluencer #supportlocal

Introducing.....VALERIE 🥳‼️ She is sponsored by Samone Inthavong ❤️ We are so excited to have Valerie participate in this year’s Miss Nang Sangkhan pageant. ✈️🍜 She enjoys traveling, trying new foods, and plans to pursue a career in the healthcare industry. 🏥 Please come help support Valerie during the Lao New Year Festival at Wat Lao Sengphokham of Kansas City on Saturday, May 16th from 2-5pm. Looking forward to seeing you all there! 📍GOOGLE MAPS GPS Address: 1315 N. 139th Street Kansas City KS 66109 📍APPLE MAPS GPS Address: 13850 State Ave Bonner Spring KS 66012 Wat Lao Olathe Kansas Wat Lao Sengphokham

Baby it was lit we were flying everywhere✈️yall think my friends believe me?🤩 #fypシ #funny #explore #kcinfluencer #reels

📍Penny’s in the Village 4160 W 71st Street Prairie Village, Ks 66208 🇹🇭Lunch at Penny’s just got a serious upgrade👌🏾Their revamped menu is packed with flavor, fresh cocktails, and the kind of dishes that make you immediately start planning your next visit‼️ What we ordered: ✅Penny’s Combo Platter ✅Tom Kha Soup ✅Dumpling Soup ✅Thai Fried Catfish (Thai Hot) ✅Royal Broccoli (added beef) ✅Lemon Drop Martini ✅King Rama ✅Manhattan ✅Beach Walk ✅Old Fashioned ✅Rice Have you visited this establishment? Let us know in the comments‼️ Tell us where to go next‼️As always, be sure to follow us for more videos and don’t forget to like, comment, and share‼️ #fypシ #explore #kcinfluencer #thaifoodlover #supportlocal

BEST PHO IN KANSAS CITY ➡️ @comgahouston_ks If you like authentic Vietnamese food then TRUST ME, you’ll love this place. KC is honestly LACKING in terms of good Vietnamese food, so it’s refreshing to know that we have access to it right here in the KC metro 🙌🏼 They also have some GREAT deals for lunch & happy hour: ✨ lunch specials $13.99 ✨ $12.99 noodle soups during happy hour SAVE THIS for the next time you’re craving pho 😋 📍15204 W 119th St, Olathe, KS 66062 & follow @divingdeep.co for more Asian food recommendations ✨ #asianfoodie #kansascityrestaurants #phorestaurant #pho #phonoodlesoup

‑Lao New Year Weekend ✨ The community is invited to celebrate Lao New Year at Wat Lao Sengphokham in Kansas City, May 15–17, featuring blessings, food, music, cultural performances, and family activities. 📍 1315 N 139th St, Kansas City, KS 66109 This year’s celebration will be hosted by MCs @ritavong2004 (SP31) and Phougna “Oboi” Konhmanichanh of Oboi Jerky, bringing energy and connection throughout the weekend Our Emcee block is Saturday, May 16 from 2–6 PM during the main cultural showcase and Miss Nangsang Khan program. . Special thanks to our sponsors: @sp31creativeeventsanddesigns • @oboijerkycrisps • @kcthairestaurant • @nailsmirage • @organic_nailsks • @phonwills_photo • @rockinwithjuss • SumnerOne • Chamoy Boy • Penny’s (@bamboopennys , @aquapennys , and @pennysinthevillage ) • @mykclive • @sumnerone @chamoy_boi_kc • @mademobb • @cafecaphe • @hellagooddeeds @ezpedicabs • and all community supporters listed on our sponsor board.