Photo of Thai New Year celebration by Picha Pinkaow

 

This calendar of Thai and Cambodian New Year celebrations was created by IE fellows Annie Kuo and Bunthay Cheam.

Thai New Year celebrations

Thai New Year service (Thai/English)
When: April 8 and April 13
Where: Hope Christian Church, 2150 N. 107th St, Basement Room B-90, Seattle, WA
Join for Thai dancing by children, Thai food and Somtam (papaya salad) competition. For more information, visit: http://www.hopeofseattle.org. There will be a Thai New Year Party at ZapVerr Thai Restaurant on Friday, April 13, 2018, from 10:30 PM – 2:00 AM.  Music, dance, games, etc.  Dress in Thai costume is encouraged.

Thai New Year festival
When: April 8
Where: Atammayatarama Buddhist Monastery, 19301 176th Ave. NE, Woodinville, WA.
At 9:30 AM, there will be morning chanting, meditation and alm offering. At 11:00 AM, there will be a potluck lunch and water ceremony for the monks. For more information, visit: atamma.org.

Thai New Year festival and service
When: April 15
Where: Seattle Meditation Center, 21910 44th Ave. W., Mountlake Terrace ,WA
Join for morning meditation, request for five precepts, afternoon meditation and water pouring ceremony. For more information, visit: meditationseattle.org.

Songkran Festival
When: April 15, event begins at 9:30 AM
Where: Wat Washington Buddhavanaram, 4401 S.360th St., Auburn, WA
This celebration includes religious ceremonies such as the Alms Offering, watering of the Buddha Statues and other ways of merit making. It emphasizes moral virtues, such as gratitude and respect to the elderly. Call 253-927-5408 for more information.

Thai New Year festival
When: April 22
Where: Buddhangkura Buddhist Temple, 932 Mett St. NE, Olympia, WA
Schedule to be posted at https://buddhangkura.org.

Khmer New Year celebrations

The ART of Survival: Remembering the Past and Welcoming the Future Series
When: Saturday, April 7, 1:00 PM
Where: Seattle City Hall Bertha Knight Landes Room and Lobby, 600 4th Ave., Seattle, WA.
Admission: Free and open to the public.
The Cambodian American Community Council of Washington presents their second annual community series called Remembering the Past & Welcoming the Future, which was title of the inaugural event held in 2015 to reflect on the 40th anniversary of the Cambodian Genocide. This year’s event showcases Cambodian Americans who have held onto their identity through the trauma of war and resettlement through art. Performances include a Bangskol presentation, Smot (traditional chant in Khmer), spoken word, film, visual arts and music. Artists include JusMoni, Venerable Prenz Sa-Nguon, Molica Chau, Keo Sanh of Eazy Duz It CC, Davey Tsunami, Phounam Pin and more.
Pre-register and/or volunteer info
Facebook event page 
Instagram page

Khmer New Year Festival at Wat Sanghikarim
When: Saturday April 14 – Sunday April 15, festivities begin each day at 9:00 AM
Where: 16626 9th Ave SE, Mill Creek, WA.
Admission: Free and open to the public.
The Cambodian Buddhist Society hosts their annual Khmer New Year celebration at Wat Sanghikarim in Mill Creek. For more information, email [email protected] or call (425) 737-6207.

Khmer New Year Festival at Watt Dhammacakkaram (Wat Chas)
When: Saturday April 14 – Sunday April 15, festivities begin each day at 9:00 AM.
Where: 300 South Juneau Street, Seattle, WA
Admission: Free and open to the public.
The Khmer Buddhist Society kicks off Khmer New Year festivities at the oldest Cambodian American Buddhist temple in Washington state with Khmer food, dance and music. More information can be found on their Facebook page.

Khmer New Year Festival at Wat Khemarak Pothiram (Wat Thmey)
When: Saturday April 14 – Sunday April 15 and Saturday April 21 – Sunday April 22. Festivities begin each day at 9:00 AM.
Where: 824 S. 100th St. Seattle, WA.
Admission: Free and open to the public.
Join for Khmer New Year festivities at Wat Khemarak Pothiram and enjoy Khmer lemongrass skewers and papaya salad, live music and cultural games. More information can be found on their Facebook page.

Solar New Year Festival at Wat Spokane Dhammaram
When: Sunday, April 22, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Where: Hatch Road, Spokane, WA.
Wat Spokane Dhammaram celebrates with their annual Solar New Year celebration. For more information, please call (509) 244-2928.

2018 White Center Cambodian New Year Street Festival
When: Saturday, April 28, 10:30 AM -5 PM
Where: White Center on SW. 98th Street, Seattle WA (between 16th Ave S.W and 15th Ave S.W.)
Admission: Free and open to the public.
Great ready for all things Cambodian! The Cambodian Cultural Alliance of Washington hosts it annual street festival to celebrate Khmer New Year. White Center is home to one of the largest Cambodian American enclaves in Washington State. This lively event will feature everything from a banana eating contest to live bands playing awesome Khmer rock music and traditional Khmer Classical Dance.

22nd Annual Khmer New Year Show
When: Saturday, May 5, 2018, doors opening at 5:00 PM.
Where: Husky Union Building (HUB) Ballroom on the UW Seattle campus, 4001 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA.
KhSA’s Khmer New Year Show is one of the biggest events celebrating Khmer culture. It is presented by the Khmer Student Association of the University of Washington. Enjoy Khmer food, language, dancing and a play. For more information, contact [email protected] or @khsauw on Facebook.

Photo of Cambodian New Year by Watt Dhammacakkaram Temple in Beacon Hill Seattle
Previous articleCindy Domingo honored as a Woman of Courage
Next article“Chinese Soul Food” by local food writer Hsiao-Ching Chou showcases authentic meals from China, Manchuria and Taiwan