Visit the annual Chinatown Summer Festival

Food and craft vendors will line the neighborhood’s streets on Saturday, July 1.

The Lion Dance at a Chinatown street festival. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

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For the 18th year, Chinatown Main Street’s Summer Festival returns to Boston for a day of street food, arts and crafts vendors, live entertainment, and other cultural celebrations on Saturday, July 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The family-friendly street fair, which is free and open to all, will include vendors selling artisan and handmade goods, purveyors of Asian street food (don’t miss the curry fish balls!), and performances of the lion dance, along with other Chinese cultural performances like folk dances and martial arts demonstrations.

One of the country’s largest Chinatowns outside of New York City, Boston’s Chinatown has been around since the 19th century. The Page Act of 1875 meant most Chinese immigrants to the U.S. were men, and during the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 the neighborhood remained predominantly male — so the Chinatown community helped the residents remain connected with their families and culture.

Today, the district remains a hub of Asian American culture in New England, with dim sum palaces, dumpling houses, and food markets dotting the densely populated area. The entrance to the neighborhood now includes the traditional Chinatown Gate, plus a park that draws chess players.

For more information about this year’s festival, visit chinatownmainstreet.org.