Fountain Valley celebrates Lunar New Year with weekend festival
Fountain Valley brought back its Lunar New Year Festival on Saturday, an event that organizers described as an appreciation of culture and history.
Those in attendance enjoyed arts and crafts, educational activities and games at the Fountain Valley Recreation Center.
“I knew we were trying to find a way to bridge the gap and really elevate the awareness of the Vietnamese culture here in Fountain Valley,” Community Services Manager Christie Araiza said. “Last year, we were fortunate to have An Nguyen do the program for her Gold Award in Girl Scouts and present it to the community. That was the goal for her to start it last year, and her ask was to just keep it going for the community.
“We’re just thrilled and excited that we can continue this event. The city is happy to do it. It’s a great opportunity to learn about the history and culture, but it’s also fun.”
The inaugural festival drew about 250 attendees, Araiza said ahead of Saturday’s festivities. Attendance grew to about 400 people this year. The event was spared from the rain, which allowed the crowd to enjoy traditional lion dancing.
“One of my pillars this year is to embrace diversity, and there’s no better way to do that than during the Lunar New Year,” said Mayor Glenn Grandis, who attended the event. “We had residents who came from all walks of life who learned about the Vietnamese culture and their history.
“We had kids, as well as adults, there enjoying our time together and being inclusive, and it was just a great, well-attended event.”
Still to come is the Orange County Lunar New Year Tet Festival, a three-day celebration at Mile Square Park. The event will take place from 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Admission is free for the Tet Festival, which will welcome the Year of the Dragon. Attendees will see cultural performances, including a firecracker ceremony. There will also be carnival rides, food vendors and live entertainment.
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