Foster City is gearing up to party like its 4710.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department on Sunday will present a Chinese Lunar New Year’s Eve Celebration that city officials say aims to be as educational as it is entertaining.
The Year of the Dragon festivities will include presentations from arts and cultural groups throughout the Bay Area.
The San Mateo-Foster City Unified School District is supporting the event.
“The event's program has been designed to teach the visiting public about the history, traditions and customs of this historic Chinese holiday,” a city press release said.
The Temple Fair-themed event will feature a reenactment of a traditional village street fair scene, with decorative displays serving as the backdrop for musical, acrobatic and lion dance performances, along with a traditional tea ceremony.
The event will also feature martial arts performances, calligraphy, brush painting, art exhibitions, animated storytelling in Chinese, and English and Chinese-opera style face painting.
Workshops will showcase traditional Chinese arts and crafts, where visitors can try their hands at Chinese calligraphy, floral pattern designs, Chinese knot-tying, paper-cutting, clay figurine-making and paper-folding.
The Year of the Dragon starts on January 23 on the Chinese calendar, which is into its 48th Century.
The Dragon is the fifth among 12 Chinese Zodiac animal signs. The Dragon represented an emperor and power in ancient China, and today symbolizes success and happiness.
The event will be held in the Recreation Center’s Lagoon Room from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free.
“The Foster City Parks and Recreation Department has planned the event to provide information related to the history and values of the holiday as well as providing fun arts and crafts activities for teachers to integrate into their classroom curriculum,” the city’s press release said. “Overall, the event will foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of America's diverse heritage by preserving, and sharing the history, rich cultural legacy, and continuing contributions of Chinese Americans.”
For more information about the Chinese New Year Celebration, call the Foster City Recreation Center at 650-286-3380.
