SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane's Lunar New Year celebration took place at the Spokane Convention Center, where thousands of people gathered to celebrate the Year of the Dragon!
The sounds of drums rang in the new year in the Chinese Zodiac Calendar, and there were more Chinese fan dances at the annual Spokane United We Stand Lunar New Year celebration.
Organizer Lynn Yee Evers said she expected more than 20,000 people to turn out to this year's event.
"I hope they will bring back some bit more knowledge about Asian culture, and people," said event organizer Lynn Yew Evers.
This is the celebration's third year. It's the event's first time at the Spokane Convention Center, with more than 40 performances, including a traditional Japanese dance. The Lunar New Year Celebration featured performances, booths, a live petting zoo, a bouncy house and red envelopes with prizes.
"We love the music, the dance and the fun of it. Because it's really fun to get everyone together," said performer Izumi Pierce. "We want people to experience what Japanese culture is about,"
Pierce has performed at every Lunar New Year celebration. She wants people to not only enjoy themselves but learn from the celebration.
This is the first Lunar New Year celebration Maria Claveran's been to.
"I was really impressed with the show and the events, and seeing how people are coming in to see it," said event attendee Maria Claveran. "It's celebrating the confluence of different cultures who come in together all at one time. And we all learn and see that we all have something in common to share."
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: Search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
Apple TV: Search "Spokane News from KREM" in the Apple store or follow this link.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com.