Tet Celebrations Ring In the Lunar New Year

Tet, the Vietnamese celebration of the Lunar New Year, gives Vietnamese Americans the opportunity to celebrate and share their heritage. Parades, festivals and special events highlight the culture of this growing community.

With Tet on Tuesday, major celebrations are taking place in Orange County, particularly in Westminster, home to Little Saigon and the highest concentration of Vietnamese outside Vietnam, and its neighbor Garden Grove. But expect crowds, as thousands cram into a tiny area.

“Little Saigon itself, during the Tet weekends and the weekends prior, is basically a complete gridlock,” said Westminster Police Lt. Mitch Waller. “It will just be slow going, and parking will be at a premium.”

Waller’s advice: Get there early, plan on lots of walking and try to carpool. Our advice: Have fun too.

* Asian Festival, Westminster Mall. Today through Feb. 21, in front of the JCPenney store. The festival showcases Asian cultures. Opening ceremonies begin at 5:30 p.m. today with a juggling and mime show.

Other highlights: A Chinese lion dance starts in front of Edwards Westminster Mall 4 at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, then dances through the mall in a ritual intended to scare off evil spirits; it ends at JCPenney. Next, the Hawaiian Polynesian Dancers perform the Samoan flaming fire knife dance and hula dance. A martial-arts demonstration starts at 2 p.m., and a Vietnamese music and dance show begins at 3 p.m.

On Sunday at 1 p.m., Mike Wong puts on a magic show with whirling scarves and colorful Chinese parasols. On Feb. 21, Asian men and women star in two “Asian Generation” fashion shows, at 2 and 4 p.m. The mall is off the San Diego Freeway, Golden West Street/Bolsa Avenue exit. (714) 898-2559.

* Flower Market, New Saigon Mall, 9225 Bolsa Ave., Westminster. Friday through Monday. Vending booths with flowers, trees and dried fruit will be set up from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the mall parking lot. (714) 891-7883.

* The 17th Annual Tet Festival, organized by the Union of Vietnamese Student Assn. of Southern California. 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

This nonprofit group of students and alumni from more than 20 California universities and colleges has held an annual festival since 1982. This year’s event features about 150 booths with arts and crafts, exhibitions, Vietnamese food, martial-arts demonstrations and live music. More than 70,000 people are expected.

The festival will be at Westminster’s Civic Center complex, at the southeast corner of Monroe Avenue and 15th Street. Parking will be at the Civic Center and on surrounding residential streets, although it will not be allowed on Monroe Avenue and 13th Street. Information: Check the group’s Web site at https://www.thsv.org or call (714) 893-3139.

* The ’99 Little Saigon Tet Festival, Cultural Court in front of New Saigon Mall, 9225 Bolsa Ave., Westminster. Feb. 18-19 from noon to 9 p.m., and Feb. 20-21 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

This carnival includes rides, games, exhibitions and food from seven Asian cultures. Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children; Thursday and Friday, students with ID get in free. Rides and games are extra. Organizers expect 50,000 people. (714) 891-7883.

* Tet Festival, organized by the Vietnamese Community of Southern California. Garden Grove Park, 9301 Westminster Ave. Feb. 19-21. Noon to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for youths 18 and younger; and free for kids younger than 4. The festival will feature 100 booths with food, arts and crafts and games, as well as live music, a Miss Vietnamese 1999 beauty contest and a sports tournament. Parking is at the park and nearby Bolsa Grande High School, 9401 Westminster Ave. (714) 677-0128.

* Lunar Festival, at the Mall of Fortune, Brookhurst Street and Westminster Avenue, Garden Grove. Feb. 19-21. Events include a dragon dance, martial-arts demonstrations, folk dancing and performances by community groups. The festival will feature about 100 booths, with Vietnamese food, displays and games. Organizers are expecting 10,000 to 15,000 people to attend.

Park at the shopping center across the street. The festival starts at 5 p.m. on Feb. 19; official opening ceremonies are Feb. 20 at 11 a.m. Until 10 p.m. on Feb. 19-20; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 21. (714) 537-2918.

* The Little Saigon Tet Parade, organized by the Little Saigon Cultural Arts Assn. Westminster’s Tet parade has not been without controversy; there have been lawsuits, cancellations and organizations competing to each hold their own event, but all is forgotten when the parade passes by--it’s usually a spectacle to behold.

The parade, which starts at 10 a.m. on Feb. 20, will feature 16 floats--three more than last year--including dragons and a countryside scene from Vietnam.

This year’s parade starts on Magnolia Street, just south of Bolsa Avenue, turns east onto Bolsa and then heads south on Bushard Street, winding up at Bishop Place by 1 p.m. Police start closing streets to traffic, in the area bordered by Hazard Avenue, McFadden Street, Magnolia Street and Bushard Street, at 7 a.m. (714) 677-0128.