EDMONDS, Wash. — Edmonds will be ringing in the Year of the Tiger during its first annual Lunar New Year celebration this weekend. While the holiday falls on Feb. 1 this year, the community is invited to celebrate its Asian American neighbors on Saturday.
Festivities include a lion dance and Kung Fu demonstration at Edmonds Lutheran Church and in the downtown area. There's even a free showing of "Over The Moon"' at the Edmonds Theater.
The idea to celebrate Lunar New Year was born out of the city's Diversity Commission, a group whose goal is to promote an environment that accepts, celebrates, and appreciates diversity within the community.
Nikki Okimoto Glaros, one of the members of the commission, said she's excited Edmonds is embracing the idea of celebrating such a significant holiday in Asian culture.
"It's something that as on the Diversity Commission we've been talking about for a while and sort of kicking around the idea of starting some more celebrations," explained Glaros. "I thought, you know, hey, we got Lunar New Year coming up. Can we maybe use that a little bit of money to get something started?"
The commission reached out to Edmonds community members and business owners to help plan the event.
That included Shubert Ho, the executive chef for Feedme Hospitality and Restaurant Group, which includes more than half a dozen restaurants in Edmonds.
"We have a huge population of Asians here in Edmonds, specifically and in the greater Seattle area. And I think it's really important to share what our culture means to us," said Ho.
Glaros said growing up as an Asian American, it was difficult to deal with the lack of representation.
"The thing I'm most looking forward is seeing Asian kids in Edmonds see themselves represented. I think that's so important," said Glaros. "It's hard to describe that feeling. When you do see yourself represented in the media, you know, in your community? It's an amazing thing."
Glaros hopes the event will broaden people's horizons and become more interested to learn about other cultures and traditions.