Traditional

Chinatown/International District Lunar New Year Festival
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Chinatown/International District neighborhood – Hing Hay Park, 411 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with lion and dragon dances, Japanese Taiko drumming, martial arts demonstrations, kid’s activity booths, lively musical and dance performances, and much more! A pavilion tent at Hing Hay Park will showcase a number of family-friendly activities for all to share. Free. For more information, visit www.cidbia.org.

Tet (Vietnamese New Year) Festival
Saturday, January 29 & Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011
Seattle Center, Fisher Pavilion and Center House, 301 Harrison Street, Seattle. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Join the festival again this year at Seattle Center where Vietnam’s rich and colorful heritage is showcased in the special theme “Dong Mau Loc Hong” or “The Fire Within”. Enjoy music performances, a childrens’ workshop, arts & crafts, multiple vendor booths, and food! Free. For more information, visit: www.tetinseattle.org.

Lunar New Year Tet celebration
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Chua Co Lam Buddhist Temple, 3503 South Graham Street., Seattle. Fireworks, lion dance, big crowds! Free. For more information, call (206) 723-4741.

For a Jazzy Night Out

Muckleshoot Casino Lunar New Year Celebration and Dragon Dance
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Muckleshoot Indian Casino, 2402 Auburn Way South, Auburn. Begins at 7 p.m. Enjoy music performances and a vibrant crowd of thousands gathered to celebrate the New Year! For more information, call (253) 804 – 444 ext. 2433 or visit
www.muckleshootcasino.com.

Tulalip Casino Chinese New Year
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Tulalip Casino, Orca Ballroom, 10200 Quil Ceda Blvd., Tulalip. Begins at 7 p.m. Enjoy music performances, a Dragon Dance, and drink specials! For more information, visit www.tulalipcasino.com.

Emerald Queen Hotel and Casino Lunar New Year Celebration
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Emerald Queen Hotel and Casino, I-5 Showroom, 5700 Pacific Highway E., Fife. Doors open at 6 p.m. Receive a Cash envelope and win up to $1,000 for the New Year! Envelopes available while supplies last. For more information, call (253) 594-7777 or visit www.emeraldqueen.com.

On the Eastside

Westminster Chapel 8th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Westminster Chapel, 13646 NE 24th Street, Bellevue. 3:30 – 8:15 p.m. The event will feature music, dance, arts and crafts, activities, food-tasting, tea demonstrations, and a ping pong tournament!
$8 per person or $25 per family. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.westminster.org or call (425) 747 – 1461.

The 2011 Microsoft Asian Spring Festival Celebration hosted by the Microsoft Chinese Employees (CHIME)
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Microsoft, One Microsoft Way, Redmond. 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. This grand event is devoted towards celebrating this very important Asian festival, uplifting the spirits, strengthening the network and increasing the overall influence of Asian communities worldwide. Over 3000 guests are expected to attend. The invited VIPs will include Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Lt. Governor Brad Owen of Washington State, and many more!

Celebrate with Community Organizations

The Asian American Journalist’s Association (AAJA) Seattle Lunar New Year Banquet & Silent Auction
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Tea Palace Restaurant and Lounge, 2828 Sunset Lane Northeast, Renton. 7 p.m. AAJA Seattle’s annual Lunar New Year is here! Everyone is welcome. Support your local journalists and future journalists, connect with old friends and make new ones. AAJA encourages all community members, friends and colleagues to celebrate the new year with AAJA! Price: $25 – $30. For more information, call (206) 280-2288 or visit www.aajaseattle.org.

The Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce Lunar New Year Banquet
Thursday, February 3, 2011
New Hong Kong Restaurant, 900 S. Jackson St., Seattle. 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with local business leaders during the New Year banquet at 5:30 p.m. (dinner begins at 6:30 p.m.). Grow your business and gain personal development through networking with past and new connections. $40. For more information, contact:
[email protected].

The Hong Kong Association of Washington Foundation’s 2011 Chinese New Year Gala
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Sheraton Seattle Hotel, Grand Ballroom, Second Floor, 1400 Sixth Ave., Seattle. 5 – 9 p.m. This gala is one of the biggest Lunar New Year celebrations in the state of Washington, hosting over 700 attendees at this black tie event. This celebration will feature a lion dance, auction items, and a David Lawrence fashion show. The Hong Kong Association of Washington Foundation’s gala benefits the Seattle Chinese Garden. $150 to reserve tickets or table for ten for $1500. To RSVP, call (206) 588 – 5452 or e-mail: [email protected]. Visit www.hkaw.org.

Families with Children From China – NW (FCC-NW) Chinese New Year Celebration 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Eckstein Middle School, 3003 NE 75th Street, Seattle. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Come join the fun and enjoy all the activities including dance performances, the children’s carnival, photography by Yuen Lui, vendors and information booths, crafts and more. The Northwest Chapter of Families with Children from China (FCC-NW) is an organization whose goal is to support families who have adopted children from China. $5 – $10. For more information, visit:
www.fcc-nw.memberlodge.com.

Celebrating Through Understanding

At the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience
New Year’s All Year-Round! Exhibit located on the second floor in the Uwajimaya/Moriguchi Family KidPLACE gallery. Featuring Chinese, Laotian, and Pacific Islander New Year and Diwali traditions. For more information, visit: www.winguke.org. Also: Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience announces the opening of their newest exhibit, “Cultural Confluence: Urban People of Asian and Native American Heritages”. On display Thursday, January 13 through September 18, 2011 in the Safeco Insurance Foundation Special Exhibition Gallery at The Wing. This exhibition traces the revitalization of Northwest American Indian communities in the wake of tribal relocation, and the productive tensions found in contemporary artistic and activist movements operating in and after urban cultural regeneration. The historic legacies and contemporary lives of people who are both Asian and Native American come together for the first time in this exhibition. Through a mix of contemporary art, new media and story-telling, Cultural Confluence explores what it means to be Native in the city at a time when nearly two thirds of Native Americans live away from their tribal reservations and ancestral homes. For more information, visit:
www.winguke.org.

The East Asia Resource Center at the University of Washington presents: Celebrating the Lunar New Year in China and Korea, A Workshop for K–8 Educators
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
University of Washington, Seattle. 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. Lunar New Year in China marks the beginning of the fifteen-day celebration known as the Spring Festival, which is the largest celebration of the year in China. In Korea, Lunar New Year (Seollal) is a three-day celebration and is considered the most important holiday of the year. Join us to learn more about Lunar New Year traditions, games, and festivities in China and Korea! Sarah Loudon, Program Consultant at the Gardner Center for Asian Art and Ideas, will lead a session on Korean games and activities. The fee to participate is $25 and includes dinner with traditional Korean and Chinese New Year dishes. For more information, visit: www.confucius.washington.edu/the-lunar-new-year-china-korea or contact [email protected] or call (206) 543-1921.

The Asian Art Council (AAC) of Seattle Art Museum Chinese New Year Celebration – The Year of the Hare
Friday, February, 4, 2011
China Harbor Restaurant, 2040 Westlake Avenue North, Seattle. Begins at 6 p.m. Entertainment by the Chinese Art and Music Association. Focusing on the museum’s renowned Asian art collection, the AAC supports programming at the Volunteer Park facility by sponsoring expert lectures, demonstrations, symposia, and gallery talks aimed at increasing the community’s awareness of this valuable local resource. $55/door for AAC members / $65 for non-members. Payable to: Friends of Asian Art: c/o Karen Knudson, 5533 60th Ave. NE, Seattle. RSVP by Jan. 30, 2011 (no payments accepted at the door). For questions, contact Karen Knudson at [email protected] or call (206) 528-9870.

Northwest Film Forum presents the Children’s Film Festival
January 28 – February 6, 2011
Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, Seattle. Don’t miss these Asian language films & events at Children’s Film Festival Seattle! Northwest Film Forum is getting ready to roll out the red carpet for Children’s Film Festival Seattle — the largest international festival of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. This year’s 10-day extravaganza will include more than 125 films from 29 countries — a mind-blowing blend of live performances, animation, features, shorts, and historical films, all crafted with care to appeal to the next generation of movie lovers. Featured films include: The “Azemichi Road” on Jan. 31 about a shy young girl who finds a way to express herself by joining a dance team; “Joe Chang and Friends” on Jan. 29 that rounds-up contemporary animation from China; and “All Creatures Great and Small” on Jan. 28, a selection of short films that are filled with cuddly animals, sweet music and gentle stories. Please visit: www.nwfilmforum.org to view the complete schedule of films and events!

Spring Events Coming Up

Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural Festival
Friday, April 1 – Sunday, April 3, 2011
Seattle Center House, Fisher Pavilion, 301 Harrison Street, Seattle. The fun-filled festival features tea ceremonies, puppet shows, music and martial arts performances. Delicious food, taiko drumming, Japanese artisan demonstrations, skateboard routines and artwork present both a modern and ancient view of this complex culture. Free. For more information, visit www.seattlecenter.com/festal.

API Heritage Month Celebration
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Seattle Center, Center House, 301 Harrison Street, Seattle. The festival launches Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Seattle with spectacular lion dances, colorful costumes and traditional dress, youth drill teams, martial arts, Taiko drums and incredible artists from around the state. For more information, visit www.seattlecenter.com/festal.

A Glimpse of China – Chinese Culture and Arts Festival
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Seattle Center, Center House, 301 Harrison Street, Seattle. The festival showcases the distinct culture of China through visual and performing arts and gift booth exhibitions, including Chinese music, dance and puppet performances, works by nationally acclaimed artists, seminars and interactive activities. For more information, visit www.seattlecenter.com/festal or www.chinaartandculture.org.

Save the Date: The International Examiner’s Community Voice Awards (CVAs)!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tea Palace Restaurant and Lounge, 2828 Sunset Lane Northeast, Renton
5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Join the IE once again at our annual gala honoring the community’s unsung heroes! This year’s theme is “A Voice For the Generations”. Five winners have been selected to receive a Community Voice Award. Names will be announced in an upcoming release.
Tickets: $75. Tickets will be available on-line for purchase soon.
For more information, contact Sharon Seymour at development[at]iexaminer.org.

Hopping Around to Other Cities

Vancouver, B.C.
Chinatown Spring Festival Celebration
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Parade begins at Millennium Gate on Pender St., Vancouver B.C. The cultural fair is at the Chinese Cultural Centre Courtyard, 50 East Pender St., Vancouver B.C. The parade: noon. – 2 p.m. Cultural Fair: 2 – 4 p.m. The Chinese New Year Parade, Vancouver Chinatown’s signature event, will return on February 6, 2011. With lion dances, cultural dance troupes, marching bands and more, this parade is a cultural extravaganza. Following the parade is the cultural fair at the Chinese Cultural Centre Courtyard between 2 and 4 p.m. This celebrative event will feature multicultural performances, special lion dance grand finale and martial arts demonstration. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit: www.cbavancouver.ca/parade.

Portland, Oregon
Families with Children From China – Oregon (FCC-Oregon) Chinese New Year Celebration 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Legin Restaurant, 8001 SE Division Street, Portland, OR. Noon to 3 p.m. Enjoy visiting with friends, perusing the raffle items, watching the lion dancers, listening to beautiful music, having a family portrait taken, shopping for unique gifts and celebrating the New Year! Registration required by January 22, 2011. For more information, visit:
http://www.fcc-oregon.org.

Lan Su Chinese Garden Chinese
New Year Festival
Festival: Thursday, February 3 – Thursday, February 17, 2011
Lan Su Chinese Garden, 239 Northwest Everett Street, Portland, OR. An annual festival for families and children, this celebration includes lion dances, martial arts and demonstrations sharing the rich culture and history of Chinese New Year. Activities include scheduled feng shui lectures, Chinatown Community Clean-Sweep, lantern-making, and more! See schedule on-line for times. All events (except for the Lantern Viewing on February 17) are free with admission to Lan Su Chinese Garden. For more information, please visit:
www.lansugarden.org.

Chinese New Year Lantern Viewing
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Lan Su Chinese Garden, 239 Northwest Everett Street, Portland, OR. 6 – 8 p.m. Come see more than 100 hanging red lanterns, 200 floating lanterns in Lake Zither and a custom lantern installation by HiiH Gallery that will bring the Lan Su aglow at this special after-hours event. This event requires separate admission from regular entry. For more information, please visit: www.lansugarden.org.

The Vietnamese Community of Oregon (VNCO) Annual Tet Festival
Saturday, February, 5, 2011
Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR. All-day event begins at 10 a.m. Activities include a lion dance, bands, singers, traditional and modern dances, martial arts, Miss Vietnamese Pageant, youth games and activity center, and business, community, non-profit and health vendors. For more information, visit:
www.congdongvietnamoregon.org.

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