Third-annual Lunar New Year Celebration rings in year of the dragon

When Vina Cathcart was growing up, she would celebrate the Asian New Year at the Spokane Buddhist Temple in Hillyard, but she couldn’t help but notice that the holiday didn’t receive much notice in Spokane.

“I was kind of bummed since Spokane celebrates Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter,” Cathcart said. “It was time for some recognition. Our community has so much to offer.”

Catchart, 27, is an agent of change. Cathcart will co-chair the third-annual Lunar New Year Celebration. There is considerable choice the third time around. The events include Chinese entertainment Sunday at the Fox. There will be traditional Chinese folk dancers, a Chinese choir, tai chi, Chinese martial arts, a dragon dance and an array of Chinese music. There will also be a cultural fair with many family activities, such as Chinese calligraphy and painting. There will be a Lunar New Year photo booth, cuisine sampling and many cultural booths.

The Lunar New Year celebration will continue Feb. 24 at the Spokane Convention Center as Spokane embraces the Year of the Dragon.

“This year’s event stands as a tribute to our city’s diverse cultural tapestry,” Cathcart said. “It symbolizes unity and highlights the significant contributions of Spokane’s Asian, Native and Hawaiian community.”

The Lunar New Year Celebration continues to grow.

“We had the first one in 2022 at the (U.S.) Pavilion,” Cathcart said. “Last year, we were at the old Convention Center and now we’re in a bigger venue. It’s great, since we need the space since every year we’ve outgrown the venue.”

Chinese dancers, singers and musicians will perform. The night will be closed out with a Lions dance and the event will be punctuated by a fireworks show.

“That way we’ll ring in the New Year with a bang,” Cathcart said. “The events are getting bigger, but so is our population. It’s not that large compared to our Hispanic and African-American community. We’re at about 5% and we’re growing.”

That’s a larger percentage than when Cathcart’s grandparents and parents arrived in Spokane in 1993.

“My family emigrated to America back then, which was before I was born,” Cathcart said. “My parents and grandparents have experienced the growth of the Asian population here. My family loves it here, otherwise they would not have stayed in Spokane.

“It’s great to celebrate our heritage and connect the different generations. It’s really empowering and by being this inclusive it brings more life to our city.”

There will be 5,000 red envelopes containing over $20,000 in gift cards from local businesses that will be distributed. The act embodies good luck and prosperity for the New Year.

“We’re immensely grateful to the Spokane community for their support over the past two years,” Cathcart said. “The Lunar New Year celebration allows us to honor our history while embracing the community spirit that defines Spokane today.

“With the event’s growth, we’re anticipating even larger celebrations into the future. We aim to continue providing a platform for our talented local ANHPI (Asian Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander) businesses and artists to engage and showcase their incredible work and talents with the Spokane community.”