July 4th Tournament 2011

After a ten year hiatus, I finally made my way back to the Hmong 4th of July Festival and I have to say that not much has changed, but I think thats a good thing. Although we had to battle the crowds and the heat, the adventure was worth it.

I decided that this  year I wanted to go on the second day towards the evening hours so that I could catch some of the finals in the sports. My goal was to see a bit of everything, but I was enthralled by the men’s flag football final that I wasn’t able to catch anything else, but I did witness Wisconsin’s Nemesis defeat Minnesota’s Suburbs.

What I always enjoyed about going to the tournament’s in the past was the food and I was not disappointed as I got some very delicious papaya salad from the Hmong United Methodist Community booth. I definitely left their booth full and fulfilled in the food department.

Another great part of the festival is getting introduced to new artists and bands, as well as being reacquainted with old favorites. I was even able to scoop a copy of L-Mo’s album “Too Grown”, which I look forward to reviewing soon.

After a few hours spent walking around and exploring food options, witnessing a new flag football champ crowned, and a little bit sunburned, it was time to go home. One thing I realized is that I really did miss going to the festival and getting the chance to see old friends. I look forward to next year and doing it all over again.

In case you aren’t aware of the winners of the sports, here are the results:

 

Hmong Flag Football

Men’s

1.       Nemesis

2.       Suburbs

3.       Split between Playza Boys, and Aftermath

 

Women’s

1.       Prodigy

2.       Bellatrix

3.       Blitz

 

Volleyball

Men’s

1.       Team California

2.       Midwest Express

3.       Prime Time

 

Women’s

1.       Smackdown

2.       Kali Crush

3.       Infamous

 

Soccer

Men’s Soccer

1. Tornado

2. Hmong USA

3. Lao MN

Women’s

1. Lady Dragon

2. Phoenix

3. Monarch