LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVAL
Every year the Chinese
Community Center hosts the premier
event in Southwest Houston, the Lunar New Year
Festival. The Lunar New Year Festival is a market place of family
fun, Chinese cultural awareness, community outreach, and business
promotion. The festival is a multi-cultural Asian celebration showcasing East
and West and the diversity of the City of Houston.
With the support of local artists and performing groups, teach celebration
attracts over 12,000 local and out-of-town visitors. Supported in part by the
Houston Arts Alliance, the festival is held every year in January or February.
The 2012 celebration will be January 28, 2012, celebrating the Year of the Dragon. Starting at 10am and lasting for 6 exciting hours,
the large, newly renovated indoor auditorium at the Chinese Community Center
hosts an array of riveting, beautiful, and inspiring performances to welcome
the Lunar New Year.
To see more pictures of the 2011 Lunar New Year Celebration held February 5, 2011, please visit our OUR GALLERY by clicking here.
Performances
Lunar New Year Festival presents skilled and up-and-coming artists
across the cultural spectrum from folk arts, music, dance, and martial arts.
Main attractions include Zodiac dances, traditional Dragon & Lion dances,
and the rare-seen Face Changing magic show. In addition to Asian cultural
performances, cultural performances from our local community will also be
presented, including Korean, Mexican, and Japanese. Other unique presentations
include mainstream arts united with traditional folk art.
Some highlights each year include:
Traditional Dragon, Lion, and Zodiac Dances
Essence of Multi-cultural performances
Face Changing
The 2011 Festival featured the Houston Grand Opera's West +
East Program and the premiere of the first of their series of chamber operas
titled "Courtside". The Song of celebrated Houston as a meeting place for Eastern and
Western cultures.
Cultural Exhibitions
The festival hosts an interactive cultural exhibition which
features shows and arts and crafts throughout the day. It is family fun for all
ages! The highlight of weekend exhibit includes the Lunar New Years Eve Feast
and the Chinese Zodiac Theatre. Renowned Asian artists also demonstrate Chinese
calligraphy, painting, photography, origami, Chinese dough-kneading figurine
sculpture, shadow puppet show, and many others.
Features include:
Lunar New Year's Eve Feast Display
Arts and Crafts
Origami
Chinese Calligraphy and New Year Lucky Couplets
Write your Chinese Name
Zodiac Balloon Twisting
Lantern Making
Chinese School Theater performances
In 2011, the Archaeological Institute of America,
Houston Society presented the Ming Fleet Project screening of the film "Sultan's Lost
Treasure". Families also enjoyed the Archaeological workshop on the
creation of the Chinese coin, rock art, and an excavation of an ancient Chinese
kitchen.
Bazaar
The Street Bazaar at the Festival features over fifty
multicultural booths with Asian and Non-Asian Cuisine, Chinese artifacts and
merchandise, games, books and information about local nonprofit
organizations. Many food booths are presented with various styles and types of
ethnic foods.
Children's Playground
A special area just for the children that will includes 20
games sponsored by the Parent-Teacher-Organization of the Chinese School
at the Center including clay work, face painting and much, much more!