Downtown Monterey Park is hosting its annual Lunar New Year Festival next weekend, Jan. 27 and 28, and Fonda Quan hopes to attend.
A year after her world was shattered when her aunt My Nhan was killed in a mass shooting on Jan. 21, 2023, at a beloved dance hall, the festival represents a symbol of how far Monterey Park has come in a year.
“Being able to come back, and have that event again this year… shows how resilient we are as a community,” she said. “My family is especially proud of that. And I definitely think there is something (special) about the Year of the Dragon.”
Ten others would lose their lives a year ago at Star Ballroom Dance studio, when a gunman entered amid the nighttime beginnings of the city’s annual celebration, and opened fire.
Within a matter of seconds, the city’s perennial place of gathering on the eve of the New Year became immersed in tragedy – the din of sirens, the silence of shock, the sound of mourners echoing at makeshift memorials.
Crowds were flocking to Monterey Park not for the food. Not for the celebration of culture. But to mourn the dead.
This year, security is expected to be tighter, but expectations remain high and optimistic as the city brings back its celebration, also on the eve of the Lunar New Year, which this year begins on Feb. 10 — ushering in the 2024 “Year of the Dragon” in the Chinese zodiac. Other local cities also hold celebrations.
The street fair event, celebrating the Year of the Dragon, will feature community resources, a carnival fun zone, traditional arts, food and business vendors. Live New Year lion and dragon dancers will parade along Garvey Avenue, between Garfield and Alhambra Avenues — just a block away from the same area where the deserted Star Ballroom studio still stands.
Organizers say there will be a moment of silence around 11:10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27, to solemnly remember those who were killed in the shooting. Other forms of commemorative activities are…
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