Millbrae to host Lunar New Year Festival

“The city is looking forward to it,” he said. “We have a very vibrant and very activated ethnic community, and we want to support everyone who wants to come to Millbrae to entertain, to play, to work and to celebrate their deep culture.” 

The popular Asian holiday observes the beginning of the new year and start of spring based on the lunisolar calendar and is celebrated by billions worldwide, often with firecrackers or fireworks, the color red for luck and an emphasis on family reunion in some cultures. It’s hosted by the Millbrae Cultural Committee. 

“The people come and celebrate the heritage of Asian culture. This is the most important holiday in the Asian community, not only Chinese but Burmese, Vietnamese … everybody is celebrating,” Millbrae Cultural Committee President Nienhwa Cheng said. 

Around 50 food vendors, including Sun’s Market, Ponyu Foods, Hsu Fu Chi, Duan Chun Zhen Noodle House and Chinese and Japanese barbecue pop-ups will be at the celebration beginning at 10 a.m.

The event will kick off with an opening ceremony at 11 a.m. featuring local officials like the Millbrae City Council and Jackie Speier, former U.S. representative and current Board of Supervisors District 1 candidate, Cheng said. 

In the morning, We Fly High — Lion and Dragon Dance will occur, and at 3 p.m., visitors can see a Silver Dragon Kung Fu performance, lead organizer Marian Kong said. The dragon and lion dances symbolize good luck and prosperity for the new year — the Year of the Dragon, one of 12 animal symbols in the Chinese zodiac. 

“Every animal in our zodiac brings good luck and happiness to the world. The dragon people like the most, it’s something that’s in people’s imagination,” Kong said. “Who has ever really seen or ridden a dragon? The dragon is symbolic of power and it will bring good luck.” 

There will also be dances and performances throughout the day from Millbrae Recreation Center Chinese line dance, Vietnamese songs from MiFaSol Band and a Er Hu solo, a Chinese two-stringed musical instrument. The performance stage will be located on the 200 block of Broadway. 

Firecrackers will be lit at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Cheng said. 

The festival is not only an opportunity for Millbrae and Bay Area residents alike to celebrate the Lunar New Year, but a chance to bring business to local Millbrae businesses and shops, Fung said. 

“It’s going to be a wonderful event, bringing a lot of people — and that’s how we bring communities together and celebrate one another,” he said. “All the businesses in downtown Broadway, they all benefit from putting Millbrae on the map. They get to show their best in front of thousands of people, joining and coming to this wonderful event.” 

Zong emphasized the festival as an opportunity for those of all cultures and ethnicities to learn more about the traditionally Asian celebration and join together as one community. 

“Our main reason to do this type of thing [is] this is culture sharing among all ethnic groups within the Peninsula and greater Bay Area,” she said. “‘Hey, what kind of thing can bring people together?’ Leisure, happiness, everybody has a good time.” 

The festival has been put on by Millbrae since 2005 and hosted by the Cultural Committee, which hosts traditional and celebratory events of all kinds, since 2019.