The annual two-day Hmong New Year Festival will usher in new beginnings, with all the sights, sounds and tastes of Hmong culture on Dec. 14 and 15.
This festival is hosted by the Hmong Association of Long Beach, which works to instill a sense of culture and tradition in second generation residents whose families immigrated from Vietnam, Thailand and Laos in ‘70s. Thousands of residents join this parade and festival each year to celebrate “all good things in the past year and all good things in the year to come,” according to a press release from the association.
An honored elder will kick off the festival at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14 by cutting the ribbon that represents the gate into the new year. A parade will commence from the gate into the central area, joining drummers, local student groups, members of the Qeej Not Gangs program and all attendees.
This year’s honored elder is Colonel Jiang Khay Cha, who has been a mentor and musician for Qeej Not Gangs for over 20 years. Qeej Not Gangs is a cultural preservation program at MacArthur Park that teaches Hmong art and tradition. He currently teaches drumming to residents ages 6 to 22.
“The Hmong migrated from China into Southeast Asia to be free from oppression. Hmong drumming was forbidden by Chinese rulers as too dangerous because drumming gives the musicians strength, endurance, and solidarity,” Khay Cha said.
Following the parade, Hmong leaders will give welcome speeches and introduce several cultural performances of music, song and dance. Both students and masters of their craft will get the chance to perform during this time. There will also be a fashion show featuring traditional clothing and modern interpretations.
Attendees can enjoy booths selling food such as barbecued meats, purple rice, green papaya salad, coconut drinks and more. Vendor booths will be selling jewelry, embroidered clothing, pillows, story cloths and more traditional items. Residents can also take part in volleyball and traditional top spinning games.
The traditional Ball Toss will take place, inviting couples of all ages to participate in the ball tossing group activity which includes sung poetry.
The festival is partially funded by the Port of Long Beach, City of Long Beach, Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine, Los Angeles County Arts and Culture, the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, Xiong Electric and the wider community.
The Hmong New Year Festival is free to the public and will take place at the Golden Grove Section of El Dorado Park (7550 East Spring St.) on Dec. 14 and 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking is free as well. Attendees should park on either side of Spring Street and follow the road north.
