Thousands of Vietnamese-Canadians look forward to celebrating at Lunar New Year Festival
Dragon dances, cultural performances, and children’s games to be featured at annual Lunar New Year Festival at Mississauga’s International Centre
TORONTO — For over 25 years, Vietnamese-Canadians across the Greater Toronto Area look forward to celebrating the Lunar New Year Festival, organized by the Vietnamese Association, Toronto (VAT) and hundreds of community groups across Ontario.
Nearly 12,000 guests of various cultures attended the festival last year, which takes place this Saturday January 22, 2011 at the International Centre in Mississauga. “This is not just a celebration of the Lunar New Year, which is significant for young and old in its own right. The festival is also a celebration of freedom, democracy, and multiculturalism – all the things that Vietnamese-Canadians are thankful for and cherish,” says Quang Nguyen, VAT’s president.
The festival is one of the largest annual events of Toronto’s Asian community and is the largest of its kind in Canada. Proceeds from the festival are used to fund community programs such as scholarships, family services, and newcomer assistance services.
The highlights of this year’s festival include colourful and interesting photo opportunities such as:
1. Dragon Dance ceremonies
2. A model search competition with the participation of Vietnamese-Canadians and Vietnamese-Americans. This is coordinated by Canadian fashion icon Thien Le.
3. Children’s games and activities centre
4. Vietnamese food pavilion
5. Multicultural showcase: Japanese drums and Korean dance performance featured
For more information about this event or interviews for this story, please contact:
Mark NguyenExecutive Director
Vietnamese Association, Toronto
Tele: 416-536-3611
Email: manh@vatoronto.ca
Important Information
Title: 2011 Vietnamese Lunar New Year Festival
Date: Saturday January 22, 2011
Location: International Centre, 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga (Halls 3, 3A, 4, 4A)
Timeline of Key Events:
10:00 am – Doors open
11:00 am – Dance, costume, and singing cultural performances by community groups
2:45 pm – Opening Ceremonies and introduction of VIP guests and dignitaries (featuring official dragon dance, guest Japanese drum performance, and tradition Vietnamese dance with custom outfits).
