Lunar New Year party celebrates Year of Rat

Denver’s largest and most authentic Lunar New Year party, now in its 17th year, will be held Saturday, Feb. 8, from 5:30 to 11 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt in Denver, celebrating the Year of the Rat.

All proceeds benefit the Nathan Yip Foundation, which provides support to K-12 educational projects in rural communities throughout Colorado and China, with educators identifying areas of greatest need and how they’d like to receive support.

As an example, the Nathan Yip Foundation recently partnered with Arrow Electronics to develop a system with rural students on Colorado’s eastern plains to create drones that help monitor the health of cattle and other ranch animals that graze across vast ranchlands.

Lunar New Year is the biggest and most colorful celebration in the East, and Denver’s biggest party gives this event an exciting twist.

The evening will feature a Chinese banquet dinner, world-class performers including lion dancers, a karaoke stage, a silent disco, fortune tellers, a Chinese calligrapher, portrait artists and an authentic and interactive Chinese night market.

Tickets to the event are available at nathanyipfoundation.org/ event/chinese-new-year-party.

The Lunar New Year is determined by the lunar calendar. In 2020, the Lunar New Year falls on Jan. 25. It is celebrated for 15 days, culminating with a lantern festival in China.

2020 is the Year of the Metal Rat. The rat is the first sign of the zodiac and is said to bring new beginnings. The metal element is said to bring productivity and activity, especially in the realms of tech, IT and health.