Community members of diverse cultural backgrounds traded red envelopes, watched dragon dance performances and chatted over cups of warm tea at Evanston SPACE Sunday to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Lunar New Year is celebrated across many East and Southeast Asian cultures, marking the beginning of the lunar calendar. The festival is traditionally centered on family gatherings, food and wishes for prosperity.
Evanston’s free festival was organized by Evanston Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander American and the Main-Dempster Mile, in partnership with local organizations, and featured a traditional lion dance performance, as well as community booths, storytime and songs from the Evanston Public Library.
For many attendees, the event represented more than just performances and offered a chance to connect with important cultural traditions. For Haven Middle School students Avery Smithivas and Zoe Yang, the festival provided an opportunity to reconnect with their Asian heritage.
“I went to go see some of my family in Asia this past year, and they were talking about Lunar New Year,” Smithivas said. “But we never really did any of the traditions after my parents moved to the United States, and we wanted to come and learn about it again.”
The celebration also encouraged families to learn about different parts of their heritage. For Yang, who comes from a mixed background, the event was a rare chance to access and experience cultural activities.
Many city leaders also attended Sunday’s festival. Mayor Daniel Biss noted he has attended the festival for many years and considered Sunday’s event part of a broader effort to celebrate the city’s cultural diversity.
“It will also help show to the Asian community in Evanston that has sometimes been ignored, that has sometimes been invisible and has even occasionally tragically been the victim of hate, that they are a cherished part of the fabric of our community,” Biss said.
Behind the performances and activities, organizers Evelyn Yang and Abby Mendoza said the event was powered by months of planning and collaboration between volunteers, local businesses and community organizations.
Evanston ASPA volunteers worked with partners like the Evanston Public Library and the YMCA to coordinate booths, performances and family-friendly activities, Evelyn Yang explained.
Evelyn Yang said events like Sunday’s festival are especially meaningful because there are limited local gatherings for Evanston’s Asian American community.
“I think the reason why I got involved is just because there aren’t a lot of Asian faces in public,” Evelyn Yang said. “It’s something for people to actually see each other.”
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