This year is the year of the Dragon, the fifth animal of the 12 zodiac signs.
The third annual Downtown Akron Lunar New Year Celebration, hosted by the Downtown Akron Partnership, will be held at the Akron Civic Theater, 182 S. Main St., on February 18th from 3:30 to 8 p.m.
The celebration includes food from downtown restaurants, information about Lunar New Year, crafts, performances, and more. Last year’s event attracted 2,000 participants.
Doors open at 3:30 p.m., and the cultural fair will be held from 3:30 to 6 p.m. on the Night Stage and in the Akron Civic Theater lobby. Performances on the main stage begin at 6 p.m.
Entertainment includes a lion dance performed by the Kwan Family Lion Dance Team. Lion dances help usher in the new year and ward off evil spirits.
Other professional groups and community members will also perform on the Akron Civic Theater stage. They include hip drum performers from Cleveland’s Glory Drum Team, martial arts master Seng Gao, Akron’s Wu-Tang Martial Arts Center, Stellar Acrobatic Dance Academy, and dance soloist Emily Hsu.
NIHF STEM Middle School students will once again perform the Dragon Dance, Umbrella Dance and Dragon Ribbon Dance with the help of former Chinese language teacher Qing Liang and program specialist Brenda Leighton.
Karen Cultural Dance Academy will perform two dances, including a traditional bamboo dance, and Akron Chinese School will perform “I Love Chinese Food.” Students from STEM, Voris CLC, and Akron Early College will also sing in the choir.
more: Pianist Kofi Boakye performs original R&B at Night Stage to kick off Valentine’s weekend
Food, fireworks that are part of Chinese New Year celebrations
Food will also be part of the celebration, with appetizers available for purchase from Cilantro Thai & Sushi Restaurant, Boiling House Akron and The Eccentric Panda food truck. The evening ends with a fireworks display outside the theater at 8 p.m.
Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year in East and Southeast Asian cultures, with participants honoring ancestors and gods, visiting family, and enjoying feasts.
Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, is celebrated in China, South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, and the Philippines. Festivals around the world are held over a two-week period from the first new moon to the first full moon of the lunar calendar. This year’s dates are from February 10th to February 24th. For more information about Akron’s Lunar New Year event and to purchase tickets ($5), visit downtownakron.com. For more information, visit Downtown Akron Partnership on Facebook or Instagram.
Starting February 18, riders will be offered a free ride on a Metro bus when they present a paper or digital event flyer to the bus operator. Call 330-762-0341 or visit yourmetrobus.org for routes and times.
Akron Chinese New Year is presented with support from the City of Akron, the Knight Foundation, the Ohio Arts Council, the GAR Foundation, the Akron Community Foundation, and the Akron Civic Theater.
Contact arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson at 330-996-3527 or [email protected].