Lunar New Year celebrations are underway in Orange County.
The Year of the Dragon will be ushered in on Feb. 10, but ceremonies and events are spread throughout the upcoming week and even later into the month. Here are just some of the celebrations planned in Orange County – there are many more planned by local shopping centers, community groups, city recreation departments, libraries and schools, so also check your local area.
Santa Ana is hosting its Tết festival – the traditional celebration in Vietnamese communities – from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3 at Centennial Park with lion and dragon dances, other cultural performances, family activities, food vendors and fireworks at 6:45 p.m.
Also on Saturday, Feb. 3, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., a free Lunar New Year celebration will be hosted by Fountain Valley at the city’s Recreation Center, 16400 Brookhurst St. Learn about Vietnamese history and culture with games and activities, city officials said.
The OC Public Library system has a month of planned celebrations at its various branches, including events at the Westminster Library (10 a.m.) and the Library of the Canyons in Silverado (11:30 a.m.) on Feb. 3. Those celebrations include children’s activities and cultural performances.
The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana has a Lunar New Year Festival planned from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 4 – rain or shine. There will be art activities, treats and dance and music performances. The event is free, see bowers.org for a schedule of performances.
Coming up in February there are also lion dance performances planned at the Brea branch at 11 a.m. on Feb. 10, at the University Park branch in Irvine at 3 p.m. on Feb. 17 and at the Laguna Niguel library at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 24.
There are several other events, including special storytimes and making crafts, check ocpl.org/lunar-new-year-2024 for the entire list.
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