1,600 Community Members Celebrate 2024 Lunar New Year in Downtown Akron

Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year in East and Southeast Asian cultures. It’s a time to honor ancestors and deities, to visit family and feast. It’s observed in China, Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, and the Philippines, and festivities last a full two weeks from the lunar year’s first new moon to its first full moon.

Downtown Akron Partnership (DAP) has worked with community members for three years now to present a Downtown Akron Lunar New Year Celebration, with significant involvement from the National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Middle School learners and educators. This year’s festivities brought 1,600 visitors together to enjoy performances and cultural experiences to usher in the Year of the Dragon. The dragon is the fifth sign of the Chinese zodiac and is linked to good luck, long life, and wisdom, and the Year of the Dragon is generally thought to bring auspice and exciting opportunities to all.

This year’s celebration built on the success of last year’s, once again taking place inside the splendorous Akron Civic Theatre. Acts on the main stage of the theatre included traditional Chinese performances like the Lion Dance, the Dragon Dance, the Ribbon Dance, and the Umbrella Dance, as well as traditional Karen performances that included the Bamboo Dance and the Don Dance. There were also several martial arts displays, Chinese acrobatics, student performances, waist drum performances, and more. All were beloved by the crowd and garnered wild applause.

Individuals and groups who performed included Kwan Family Lion Dance, Master Sen Gao and Aaron Wells, the Karen Culture Dance Academy, Emily Su, Akron Chinese School, the Wu Tang Center for the Therapeutic Arts and Education, the Cleveland Glory Waist Drum Team, Stellar Acrobatic Dance Academy, and students from NIHF STEM Middle School, Voris Community Learning Center, and Akron Early College High School.

One of the unique aspects of the Downtown Akron Lunar New Year Celebration is its mixture of professional, student, and volunteer performances. For instance, Emily Su, who performed a breathtaking and accomplished solo dance, is also an MD. She’s currently a general surgery resident at an Akron hospital, and even received an award for a presentation during NEOMED’s annual Surgery Residency Research Day. STEM Middle Schoolers and kids from Akron Chinese School share the professionally run Civic stage with master martial artists and performers.

Prior to the show, the Civic lobby and Knight Stage were filled with opportunities to explore cultural activities, crafts, and informational booths. Those with a presence this year included the City of Akron HR Department, House Three Thirty, National Museum of Psychology and Institute Galleries, Akron METRO RTA, Asian Services in Action (ASIA), Akron Children’s Museum, Photoplay Photobooth, NIHF STEM Middle School, Northside Marketplace, The University of Akron, and poster artist Rae Faba, who signed event posters and T-shirts for patrons. DAP handed out stuffed dragons and raffled off the original poster artwork to one lucky winner, Stephanie Kelly.

Boiling House Akron, Cilantro Thai and Sushi, and Eccentric Panda served food, which visitors consumed voraciously, with great pleasure.

Following the culture fair and performances, NIHF STEM learners, donning dragon costumes, led audience members out the front doors of the theatre to Main Street, where fireworks rained over downtown. It was a lovely evening of community togetherness and the celebratory sharing of cultures.

The 2024 Downtown Akron Lunar New Year Celebration was presented by Downtown Akron Partnership, with generous support from the City of Akron, Knight Foundation, the Ohio Arts Council, GAR Foundation, Akron Community Foundation, and the Akron Civic Theatre. Other community partners included Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron Public Schools, National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Middle School, Asian Services in Action, the Karen Community of Akron, METRO RTA, and The University of Akron.