The inaugural Taiwan Cycling Festival on Sept. 25, a free event, will celebrate the food and culture of Taiwan, with live entertainment, children’s activities and an appearance by Crystal Yang, Miss Taiwan International 2016.

It has some bicycle-specific aspects, too. The Hawaii Bicycling League invites riders to participate in the Aloha Fun Ride or the Honolulu Century Ride before returning to the park for the food and other activities.

Yang is participating because the festival serves to promote travel to Taiwan, where cycling competitions are also popular. Bicyclists from Hawaii or anywhere who visit Taiwan can ride through beautiful countryside, she said.

“We’re excited to finally have an annual celebration around Taiwan and Taiwanese culture for the first time in Hawaii,” Yang said.

Prize giveaways include travel from China Airlines, and the winners will have the opportunity to be introduced to traditional Taiwanese events and culture, Yang said.

Several businesses and organizations have collaborated to support the festival including the Taiwanese Association of America, Hawaii Chapter; the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce of Honolulu; and the Hawaii Taiwanese Center, in partnership with the Taiwan Tourism Bureau and Hawaii Tourism Authority.

As for food, some 20 vendors will have booths at the festival. Cultural and business organizations from Taiwan will offer traditional dishes for sale, said Eddie Flores, president of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue and a festival volunteer.

Flores offered some insight for people unfamiliar with the food.

Taiwanese food is a little spicier than the Cantonese-style food that many in Hawaii find familiar. However, it is not as spicy as Szechuan-style Chinese food, he said.

Traditional Taiwanese dishes also include steamed dumplings and a savory pancake studded with vegetables and meat or seafood.

“While Taiwan has become recently known for our signature bubble tea dessert drink, that’s only a small sampling of the delicious food that Taiwanese culture offers,” Yang said.

The Hawaii resident has undertaken culinary studies for fun, because she loves cooking. Her favorite traditional Taiwanese dish is called three-cup chicken, as it is cooked with a cup of soy sauce, a cup of oyster sauce and a cup of rice wine, as well as ginger and garlic.

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CLARIFICATION: The Taiwanese Cycling Festival is affiliated with the Honolulu Century Ride and the Bank of Hawaii Aloha Fun Ride, organized by The Hawaii Bicycling League. The festival and all activities at the Kapiolani Park finish area are open to riders and members of the public. An earlier version of this story and Fun With Food, on page 25 of Friday’s TGIF section, did not specify that the festival is a finish area event for the rides.