The City of Artesia held its first Lunar New Year Festival Saturday, March 4, 2017. Crucial to the success of the event was the collaboration between staff and the volunteer planning committee. The volunteer planning committee was comprised of Jim Chang, Dr. Jose Fierro, Dr. PaoLing Gao, Lynn Hsieh, Bee Hsu, Catherine I-Chien Fu, Dr. Li-Lang, Shin Liu, Vera Wong, Linda Yao, &, Cerritos Chinese American Senior Citizens Association, and Cerritos Chinese School who all gave their time and offered invaluable advice.
The Lunar New Year Festival was the first of 5 new special events planned for 2017. The event featured six hours of performances celebrating a variety of Asian cultures. Performers ranged from marital arts, dance, a puppet show, and of course the dragon dance. People from all over the community visited the event to see the entertainment, to eat from the food trucks, and to see other vendors.
With 8 new events approved by the City Council, chosen to honor and celebrate a variety of cultural holidays. The approved events are Lunar New Year – 3/14, Mariachi Festival – 5/6, Pioneer Days – 6/10, EID Celebration – 6/25, Indian Independence Day – 8/12, International Street Fair & Diversity Festival – 10/7, Festival of Lights – 10/21, & Treats in the Streets 10/25. Collaboration with staff and volunteers to plan future events will be important for successful community events in the future. If you are interested in engaging in any volunteer planning committees in the future, please contact Parks and Recreation at recreation@cityofartesia.us.