Council to Move ’97 Tet Festivities to Different Site
In an effort to avoid complaints from business owners, the City Council has decided to move next year’s Tet celebration a few blocks west on Bolsa Avenue.
The city-sponsored festival, a Vietnamese tradition celebrating the New Year on the lunar calendar, will be held on a closed-off section between Magnolia and Eden streets Feb. 7, 8 and 9. This year, it was between Bushard and Moran streets, prompting merchants to complain that the lack of access to their stores hurt business.
The council recently gave preliminary approval to the street closure and event dates, over the objections of Councilwoman Margie L. Rice. Organizers will still be required to obtain a special event permit.
Rice said she was upset about late-night phone calls she received from residents during this year’s Tet Festival, which drew thousands to the city’s Little Saigon area in late February.
“People were calling me at midnight with complaints about noise and traffic,” Rice said.
The traditional event, the largest holiday of the year for the Vietnamese people, honors ancestors and celebrates the coming year.
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