Lunar New Year celebrations at Eastwood include night market
LUNAR New Year celebrations at Eastwood will include a new event when the Year of the Dog gets under way next month.
Northern District Times
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LUNAR New Year celebrations at Eastwood will include a new event when the Year of the Dog gets under way next month.
Organisers have announced a Lunar New Year night market on Saturday, February 24, the week prior to the grand celebration on Saturday, March 3.
The night market highlights will include the switching on of decorative lights in the plaza, and cultural performances on stage.
The performances will start at 5pm, and the markets will trade until 10pm.
Night markets are held each Saturday at the plaza, and organiser Lin Abbott was glad to involve them in the festivities.
“It will add more vibrancy to the Lunar New Year celebrations,” she said.
The annual cooking competition will be the first event — on Saturday, February 17.
The Year of the Dog presented a conundrum for organisers, who usually ask entrants to prepare dishes based on the animal of the respective year.
Organising committee honorary chair Justin Li joked about the possibilities.
“It’s obvious what the theme should be, but it’s not allowed under Australian law,” he said. “We’re such a nanny state.”
He said he canvassed having dogs as the judges.
“Then we could truly know whose dish tastes like dog food.”
This is the 10th year of the Eastwood celebrations and the last in which a founding organiser, Hugh Lee, will be involved.
Mr Lee is 70 and has decided to hand duties to his younger peers.
He marvelled at the event’s progress from humble beginnings.
“I can still remember how we struggled for sponsorship of more than a few thousand dollars,” he said of the early years.
“It’s amazing to think we can attract more than $80,000 in 2018.”