By: Brianne Hodgkins, Confucious Institute Program Coordinator
The Chinese and American Friendship Association of Maine (CAFAM) and the University of Southern Maine Confucius Institute will ring in the Year of the Rat February 1, 2020, at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center, 471 Stroudwater Street, Westbrook, ME.
This always popular and exciting event is in its 30th year and is the oldest and largest Chinese New Year celebration in Maine.
The celebration will open with a Lion Dance by Steve Wong and Rodger Wong of Bangor who will also perform throughout the day. The feature event is a performance by Boston’s Chinese Folk Arts Workshop, a professional arts group, which will include traditional Chinese music, drumming, and dancing, including a lion dance and dragon dance, and a diabolo (Chinese yoyo) performance, at 11:30 a.m.
All day, children can make rat-themed crafts. There will be a martial arts troupe performing in the gym all day. Vendors will be selling books, Chinese teas, and Chinese crafts and products.
There will be demonstrations of Tai Chi, selecting and brewing Chinese teas, and Chinese cooking, as well as interesting talks about China and Chinese culture.
There will also be delicious Chinese food and beverages for sale.
The celebration begins at 10:00 a.m. and lasts until 3:00 p. m. PLENTY OF FREE PARKING. Admission is $6 for children under 12 and $8 for adults. Groups of 5 are just $30. Only cash or check. No credit or debit cards!
Sponsored the Chinese And American Friendship Association of Maine (CAFAM) and the University of Southern Maine’s Confucius Institute.
For more information go to www.cafammaine.org or usm.maine.edu/confucius.
Nice article, I love reading this kind of reading materials. This is very interesting. I can say that I’m a big fan of the Chinese zodiac, I usually follow some of the given tips every year pertaining on my zodiac sign and I really enjoyed and feel safe about it.