2024 is the Year of the Dragon.

The Justice and Equity Team (JET) would like to encourage the UUSS community to attend one of this year’s celebration of Lunar New Year.  There are various celebrations around the Sacramento area. As our congregation seeks to live into the 8th Principle, enjoying diverse cultures can help us be a more inclusive community.

February 10-11: Elk Grove, 11 am to 8 pm.

Location: Elk Grove Park, 9950 Elk Grove Florin Road, Elk Grove

Parking: $5 in the park.

Saturday’s (2/10), the parade inside Elk Grove Park will start between 9:45-10am

Sponsored by the Nor Cal Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, the festival will showcase a parade of colorful floats, performances, Vietnamese food vendors, and traditional music.  This festival is a celebration of Tet, it is the mark of the first day of the New Lunar Year, the beginning of Spring, and it is also considered to be the official birthday of every person in Vietnam.

February 10: South Sacramento, 8:30 am Opening Ceremony; 9:30 am Parade

Location:  The parade starts at the intersection of Bolsa Avenue and Magnolia Street in Westminster, goes east on Bolsa Avenue, turns right on Bushard Street, ends at Bishop Place.

Little Saigon Tet Parade: Little Saigon District of Sacramento boasts festive decorations and atmosphere. Little Saigon Tet Parade is one of the most important annual events in the Vietnamese community. It features firecrackers, a flower and a car show, lion dances, carnival games and lots of delicious food to try.

February 24: South Sacramento, 11:00am – 5:00pm

Location: Luther Burbank High School, 3500 Florin Road, Sacramento

Sponsored by the Chinese New Year Culture Association, the day will include a stage show with traditional Chinese classic dances, chorus, Kung Fu, modern dance.  Also there will be Chinese cultural displays and cuisine.  Children’s games and activities. In the Chinese culture, the dragon symbolizes energy, power, and prestige.

Background Info:  Sacramento’s Asian population is 19.5%, making Asian persons the largest ethnic group in the region. South Sacramento houses the largest concentration of Vietnamese persons in the area. A two-mile stretch between Fruitridge, Florin Roads, and Stockton Boulevard has been dubbed Little Saigon. This area was settled by Vietnamese immigrants during the late 1970s and 1980s, post the fall of Saigon in 1975.