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This article appeared in the February 18, 2008 issue of The Patriot Ledger
Ouincy-Organizers say the 20th annual Quincy Lunar New Year Festival drew a record crowd of more than 6,500 people to an elaborately decorated North Quincy High School. The festival, on Sunday, was an opportunity to share in Chinese culture and celebrate with the community.
One of the goals in holding the festival was to involve the general Quincy community, not just the local Asian population, said Tackey Chan, who is on the board of Quincy Asian Resources Inc., the event organizer.
“It is very diversified for everyone to come,” he said. “It’s to bring all of Quincy together.”
This article appeared in the February 17, 2004 issue of The Patriot Ledger
QUINCY —Thai dancers. Martial arts and acrobatics. The ancient celebratory sounds of musical troupes. And food – lots of it, from five Asian restaurants.
These are part of the celebration planned for Quincy’s 20th annual Lunar New Year Festival from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 17 at North Quincy High School.
Like the city’s August Moon Festival, the Lunar New Year celebration was started by Wollaston Lutheran Church in 1987, when the congregation began reaching out to the city’s Asian population.
Red, the color of prosperity and success, is central to Asian New Year celebrations, at which red lanterns are strung and money is given in red envelopes. Said to fend off evil spirits and bad fortune, it is the luckiest of colors.
North Quincy High School may not have been a lucky choice of locations for yesterday’s Lunar New Year Festival in Quincy, but it was an appropriate one. The halls, the chairs and the gym floors were already varying shades of red - one of the school’s colors.
Quincy Asian Resources, the festival’s host, decorated the halls with red paper lanterns and red signs bearing Chinese characters. A red arch built in the school’s atrium, topped with a glittery cardboard pig’s head and a dragon made of red and yellow balloons, served as the backdrop for photos of the performance groups.
About 4,000 people came to the festival to celebrate the Year of the Pig, which officially began Feb. 18. They wandered the halls, stopping to eat, play games and watch dance and musical performances by local Asian-American groups.
A group of musicians -- is gathered on a platform on Hancock Street, belting out Cantonese opera --as seniors watch from under a shaded tent. Next door, youngsters fold paper for origami, fill jars with sand and get their faces painted.
The juxtaposition of the old and the young is typical of Chinese celebrations, said Quincy Asian Resources board member Ji Li Noiseux, who was watching the opera performance
‘‘In Chinese culture it’s always good harmony to put the two together,’’ she said.
Whether it was the well-planned good harmony or all the lucky bamboo at the various booths, one thing seems certain: The 20th annual August Moon Festival was a success.
Many years ago, in the dreamtime of the Chinese people, the Jade Emperor decided to celebrate his birthday with a contest among all the animals of the world.
They would swim across the fastest flowing river in China and the first 12 to reach the farther bank would be rewarded with his name on a year in the zodiac.
Thus the rat, who hitched a ride on the back of the water water buffalo (or ox), won and became the first year of the cycle. The dog finished 11th, next to last.
It was the Year of the Dog that the Asian community celebrated Sunday at North Quincy High School with a record crowd of 4,000 at the 18th Annual Quincy Lunar New Year Festival.
QUINCY - A record crowd of 4,000 packed North Quincy High School for the 18th annual Quincy Lunar New Year Festival.
"This has gone from the Asian community celebrating their new year to the kind of an event that the entire city enjoys as a celebration of diversity," Mayor William Phelan said.
The five-hour event turned the high school into a wall-to-wall celebration of Asian culture yesterday.
It included an array of dance and musical performers, young and old; and a variety of ethnic food.
A crowd estimated at more than 6,000 - the most folks ever - feasted and otherwise enjoyed the 18th annual August Moon Festival Sunday at President's Plaza.
"It was a super turnout," said John Brothers, executive director of Quincy Asian Resources, Inc., (QARI), the hosts for the events.
"Last year we had 5,000. There were more this year. I'd estimate there were more than 6,000. Their cars filled the parking lot and still there was not enough room.
"We had three shuttle buses running continuously from the Quincy and North Quincy MBTA stations. They were crowded all day."
Quincy -The Quincy Asian Resources, Inc. (QARI) calls volunteers for the planning of the 18th Annual August Moon Festival to be held at President's Plaza on August 21, 2005 from 11-4pm. Members of the organization ask citizens to play their part in making this a truly amazing celebration.
This week, members met to create the essential working groups that include logistics, entertainment, sponsorship, marketing, and volunteer coordination. Organizers hope more people will contribute their time and ideas.
"The August Moon Festival is wonderful event which brings together the community to celebrate Asian cultures" said John Brothers, Executive Director of QARI. "We invite representatives of all of the cultures living on the South Shore to take part."
Quincy, MA - The Quincy Asian Resources, Inc. (QARI) hosted a Lunar New Year Community Banquet at the International Buffet on March 26, 2005 and successful festival on March 26, 2005 at the North Quincy High school. Some of the highlights include performances of Chinese and Filipino music and dance, exhibits featuring the work of local Asian artists, a lion dance and traditional Chinese movies. A children's area was also available with Asian games and a senior citizen program area that featured crafts and calligraphy. Local restaurants offered different types of Asian cuisine.
More than fifty local businesses, government and social service agencies and individuals participated in the Lunar New Year Festival and Community Banquet. The Grand Sponsors of this year's festival were Sunshine Travel, Mohegan Sun and Stop & Shop Supermarkets. The Patriot Ledger, the Quincy Sun, and Boston Chinese News were media sponsors for the event.
QUINCY - Christina Lam, a senior at North Quincy High School, is the first generation in her Asian family to have been born in the United States.
Yesterday, she put her dual heritage to use at the August Moon Festival at President Plaza on Quincy Avenue. Working at a booth, she coordinated about 60 high school-age volunteers whose bilingual abilities helped the festival run smoothly.
?What's great is that it's not Asian-targeted,'' Lam said about the festival. ?It promotes diversity, sharing our culture so everyone gets a piece of it.''
President Plaza was transformed into an outdoor pedestrian mall with more than 60 tents sponsored by merchants and local organizations.
