Dancers in the Chinese Garden at a past San Ysidro Festival. Photo by Kendall Kroesen.

Lunar New Year Observance

Saturday February 5, 9:00am - Noon, FREE with $5 donation at Gate

The next new moon is coming up and this one marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year! This is a major celebration in many parts of the world. The official new year is on February 1, but we're teaming with the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center (TCCC) to have a celebration on Saturday February 5. Please come and enjoy these great opportunities:

• Welcome and Introduction (9am)

• Food Samples (9am-12pm): Rice cakes (TCCC); Daikon cake (Veneklasen family); Green tea (Mission Garden)

• Tea Ceremony Demonstrations, Don Lightner (9am & 10am).
  Don KIMON SŌKŌ Lightner will be demonstrating Chanoyu, the Japanese tradition of tea to celebrate the lunar New Year, the year of the Water Tiger. Don is a teacher of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, artist, Chinese Herbalist and Acupuncturist.

• Chinese Cultural Center, info table (9am - 12pm)

• Chinese Yo-Yo demonstration by Jackson Veneklasen (10:30am-11am)

• Loquat Tree Planting by Tree Steward Steve Liu and family (about 10:30am)

• TCCC Lion Dancing (11am-11:30am)

• Traditional Chinese Music by Tucson Sino Pipa Ensemble (playing the pipa and guzheng) (11:30am-12pm)

Loquat Tree at Mission Garden. Photo by Kendall Kroesen.