Starting the Year of the Sheep in style
A festival to welcome the Year of the Sheep is being held in Halls 3 and 4 of the ASB Showgrounds, 217 Greenlane West this Saturday, February 14 between 9.30am and 4pm.
This is a free event and is eagerly anticipated by many thousands of recent migrants from China and other parts of Asia. For them it’s an opportunity to experience the sights, sounds, smells and pageantry of a traditional Chinese New Year celebration which they enjoyed each year in their previous home country.
But it’s also a festival with much wider appeal – enjoyed by Kiwis and New Zealand born Chinese for the great entertainment both indoors and outdoors, the exotic variety of Asian food available and the wide range of goods and services displayed in the market area.
This annual celebration, organised by ACCC for nearly 30 years, has become a highlight of the Auckland summer events calendar. More than 20,000 people are expected to attend.
Highlights this year include:
The TV33 flash mob dancing group to kick off the festival outside in lively fashion
A spectacular 11-person dragon dance to open the official proceedings
A special acrobatic troupe from China – this will be their first performance in NZ
A unique act by a facechanging artist which is rarely performed outside China
The E-PACS dragon and lion dance group consisting of four-to-15 year old youngsters
Special martial arts and tai chi demonstrations
Continuous cultural concert featuring traditional Chinese folk dances, musical instruments and singing ... plus much more!