Lunar New Year Events

Tet New Year Festival, Year of the Horse, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2 to 10 p.m., at Union Depot, 214 — 4th Street E., Minneapolis, MN 55101. Vietnamese Community of Minnesota presents Miss Ao Dai/Mr. Viet pageants, cultural entertainment. food, talent show, fashion, children’s activities, contests. Free and open to the public. Hieu Tu, 763-218-4928, Tiffiny Le, 651-399-0212, www.vietnam-minnesota.org. 

CAAM Chinese Dance Theater presents Homecoming: A Chinese New Year’s Tale, Jan. 25, 7 p.m., and Jan. 26, 2 p.m. at O’Shaughnessy, St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Avenue St. Paul MN 55105. Tickets $15 advance, $20 door. http://oshag.stkate.edu/event/caam-homecoming. 

Korean Lunar New Year, Saturday, Jan. 25, 5:30 p.m. at Korean Presbyterian Church of Minnesota, 5840 Humboldt Ave. N., Brooklyn Center, MN 55430. Korean Adoptees Ministry Center presents Korean dinner, kids games, choral music, traditional drums, and Korean dance. $10 ages 7 and up. RSVP to [email protected], www.kamcenter.org.

Tet New Year, Saturday, Jan. 25, 10:30 a.m. at Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center, 5600 85th Ave. N., Brooklyn Park. Drumming, dancing, music, zodiac tales, traditional Tet games. www.hclib.org/events

Tet New Year, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2 p.m. at Hosmer Library, 347 E. 36th St., Minneapolis. Drumming, dancing, music, zodiac tales, traditional Tet games. www.hclib.org/events

Minnesota International Chinese  School, New Year’s Celebration, Sunday, Jan. 26, 1 to 5 p.m., at Chanhassen High School, 2200 Lyman Blvd., Chanhassen, MN  55317. Cultural entertainment, games, food bazaar, lion dance, lucky drawings, family fun. Free and open to the public. Call 612-618-0067 or email [email protected]

Representations of Transnationalism Among Asian/Pacific Islander Americans, Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Social Sciences Building room 710, University of Minnesota, West Bank, 267 19th Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55455. Presenters include Asian American Studies Graduate students: Tom Sarmiento (American Studies): The Heart of Empire: Queer Cultural Imaginaries of Filipinas / os in the Midwest; Yuan Ding (English, PhD): I’ve sorta come to love the mistakes – Politics of (Mis)translation in DH Hwang’s Chinglish; and Stephen C. Suh (Sociology): Nostalgic for the Unfamiliar: Korean American ethnic return migration and its neo-imperial logics. Co-sponsored with Asian American Studies Graduate Students, Viivncaus Hmong Women’s Group. 

Grand Opening of China 100 Historic Exhibit Chinese New Year Celebration, Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, from 3 to 5 p.m. at McNamara Alumni Center, Johnson Great Room, 200 Oak Street Southeast, Minneapolis, MN 55455. As part of the China 100 celebration, the University of Minnesota China Center will host a Chinese New Year reception, which will feature the grand opening of the China 100 historic exhibit. Light appetizers and refreshments will be served. RSVP by calling 612-624-1002 or online at http://china100.umn.edu/forms/en/reception-chinese_new_year.php.

FEBRUARY 2014

Chinese New Year Celebration, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014, from 3 to 7 p.m., at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus Student Center, North Star Ballroom, 2017 Buford Ave, St. Paul, MN 55108. Doors open at 2:30 p.m., with performances including lion dance, Chinese dances, juggling, starting at 3 p.m. Lucky money for children, over $2,000 worth of door prizes at 4:30 p.m. The food bazaar begins at 5 p.m. Adults: $15 in advance and $18 at door; students and seniors $12 in advance and $15 at door; children free to age 5 and $8 in advance, $10 at door for ages 5 to 12. Tickets include food coupons equivalent to $7 in value or $6 for children. Advance tickets available before Jan. 25 at Twin Cities Chinese Language School on Saturdays, or sales volunteers. Email [email protected] or call 651-733-9827 or [email protected] or 763-639-5202. Event organized by Minnesota Chinese Cultural Services Center; Chinese American Academic & Professional Association in Minnesota; Minnesota Chinese Veterans Association; Minnesota Chinese Student Association; and Taiwan Student Association. 

The U.S. China Business Connection (UCBC) Chinese New Year Celebration will be held Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014 at the Tea House, U of M location, 2425 University Ave. SE, Mpls 55414. Registration starts at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. Announcements follow at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 for non-members and $30 for members, who may also being guests to attend at the member rate. The UCBC Chinese New Year party will celebrate the Year of the Horse. This is a time for great fun, excellent food and networking. Join ex-pats, old China hands, first-timers and Chinese entrepreneurs who are involved (or want to be) in some form of business with China: exports, imports, education or simply travel. Swap tales and build relationships or see if any of the many China opportunities are for you.  Bring your spouse, partners, friends, clients and customers. Contact Jim Smith, 612-865-6543, [email protected] and visit www.ucbcgroup.org. 

An evening of creating art with Ka Vang, Twin Cities Hmong American writer, educator, and “artivist” on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Minnesota Humanities Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, St. Paul, MN 55106. During the course of the evening, Vang will read selections from her work, guide the audience in creating a community poem, and discuss how she uses her writings as a tool for social justice and to fight against injustice and oppression. Through interactive exercises, audience members will be encouraged to reimagine common folktales, stories, and poems in innovative ways. Tickets are $10, and includes light snack and materials. Intended Audience: K-12 Educators. Find out more at www.minnesotahumanities.org/mno or www.mnhum.org. 

Vietnamese Student Association of Minnesota “Year of the Horse” Tet New Year Show, Saturday, Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m., Ted Mann Concert Hall, University of Minnesota, 2128 South 4th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Cultural entertainment, student skits, food and refreshments. Free and open to the public. www.vsaminnesota.org. www.facebook.com/vsamn

Tet New Year, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2 p.m. at Northeast Library, 2200 Central Ave. NE, Minneapolis. Drumming, dancing, music, zodiac tales, traditional Tet games. www.hclib.org/events

Indian New year rituals, Saturday, Feb. 8, 10:30 a.m. at St. Louis Park Library, 3240 Library Lane, St. Louis Park. Traditional dances, color art rangoli, henna tattoos. www.hclib.org/events

Indian New year rituals, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2 p.m. at Plymouth Library, 15700 36th Ave. N., Plymouth. Traditional dances, color art rangoli, henna tattoos. www.hclib.org/events

New Year Celebration, Sunday, Feb. 9, 5:30 p.m. dinner and 7 p.m. Program at Grand Szechuan Restaurant, 10602 France Avenue South, Bloomington, MN 55437. US-China Peoples Friendship Association Minnesota Chapter, St. Anthony Brass Quintet, Chinese and American music, sister city celebration. $30 non-members, $13 under 12. Add $5 after Feb. 5. RSVP: [email protected], www.uscpfa-mn.org 

Chinese New Year, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2 p.m. at Hopkins Library, 22 11th Ave. N., Hopkins. Storytelling, music, Chinese New Year’s customs, traditional dances. www.hclib.org/events

Chinese New Year, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2 p.m. at Sumner Library, 611 Van White Mem. Blvd., Minneapolis. Storytelling, music, Chinese New Year’s customs, traditional dances. www.hclib.org/events

MARCH 2014

The band “Xiu Xiu” with members Shayna Dunkelman, Angela Seo, and Jamie Stewart, recording on the Polyvinyl/Bella Union Label, Wednesday, March 5, 2014, at 8 p.m., 7th Street Entry of First Avenue, 701 First Avenue N, Minneapolis. Tickets $13,  an 18+ show. Call 612-338-8388 or visit www.first-avenue.com and www.xiuxiu.org.

APRIL

Thailand New Year, Saturday, April 26, 10:30 a.m. at Augsburg Park Library, 7100 Nicollet Ave., Richfield. Thai fruit carving, traditional dances, hands-on activities and learning. www.hclib.org/events

Thailand New Year, Saturday, Saturday, April 26, 2 p.m. at Oxboro Library, 8801 Portland Ave. S., Bloomington. Thai fruit carving, traditional dances, hands-on activities and learning. www.hclib.org/events