By Rachel Cheng, Staff Writer
With the start of 2023, many are eager to see what the new year has in store for them. For many, the new year also brings the holiday of Lunar New Year: one of the most important and widely celebrated holidays in East Asia. To celebrate this beloved holiday, the city of Millbrae will be hosting their annual Lunar New Year festival to celebrate the year of the rabbit. The new year festival will be held starting on Sunday, January 29th and ending on Monday, January 30th. The celebration will occur from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm every day, so don’t forget to set your reminders! With the wide amount of vendors, activities, and performances, this year’s festival will be located from 300 to 400 Broadway in downtown Millbrae. In addition, admission to the event is free, and all are welcome to participate in the festivities.
Another popular tradition for the Lunar New Year Festival is the lion or dragon dance. In the lion dance, the lion is operated by two people: one moves the head while the other moves the body. There are two forms of the dance, the Northern lion and the Southern lion, and the dance movements resemble martial arts and are performed to a drum beat. Meanwhile, the dragon dance is operated by a team of dancers with poles, and are believed to represent good luck and authority. At this year’s Lunar New Year festival, Millbrae will be hosting both traditional dances to ring in the new year and bring good fortune.
Some other things to look out for are the food vendors and activity booths around the festival. Attendees of last year’s festival recall that there were a wide variety of food stands, with items ranging from boba tea, coconut pudding, and matcha ice cream to Asian barbeque and other traditional Asian dishes. This year’s festival will have over 30 food vendors, so be sure to keep an eye out for them.
Additionally, the Millbrae Cultural Committee has a multitude of activities planned for this year’s Lunar New Year Festival, including over 50 arts, crafts, and merchandise vendors. Mills High School Student Samuel Lam (12) remarks that “Last year’s Lunar New Year Festival was an amazing experience that reflected many Chinese New Year traditions.” In addition, Katelyn Lam (12) recalls that last year’s festival was “similar to the art and wine festival, but with different vendors and performances. The firecrackers were really cool and the keychains were cute too, and I enjoyed watching the lion dance performances.” Students reported that last year the activities and merchandise included face painting, bounce houses, clothing stands, fortune telling booths, and a kids show.
Overall, this Lunar New Year Festival is sure to be jam-packed with fun activities, delicious food, and cool merchandise for all of its visitors. Regardless of if you celebrate the holiday or not, come down to the festival to catch a glimpse of the cultural traditions and take part in the festivities!
