This weekend one of the largest festivals celebrating the Lunar New Year in Orlando takes place at the Central Florida Fairgrounds.
The Orlando Tet festival takes place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12: 30 a.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the fairgrounds complex on West Colonial Drive.
The celebration features traditional dragon and lion dances, a games area, firecrackers, cultural performances, and a 16,000-square-foot food court featuring a wide variety of Vietnamese food for purchase.
The Parish of Saint Philip Phan Van Minh Catholic Church puts on the festival.
Orange County has Central Florida’s largest concentration of Asian Americans with more than 78,300 people, according to the 2020 Census.
Hundreds of Vietnamese refugees came to Central Florida after the Vietnam War in the late 1970s. Those immigrants built a thriving community of businesses in the Orlando area along Colonial Drive that continues to expand.
According to the Asian American Chamber of Commerce, the top Asian American populations in the area are Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese and Filipino.
The festival is just one of several events happening as part of the Lunar New Year. This year is the Year of the Dragon.
Other events include the lion dance blessings at businesses in the Mills 50 area on Saturday, Feb. 10. The Wah Lum Kung Fu Temple performs the traditional dance.
Avalon Park in east Orange County is hosting Avalon SpringFest on Feb. 17.
There is another Tet Festival, hosted by the Vietnamese Community Associated of Central Florida, at the fairgrounds Feb. 16-18. The Miss Vietnam of Florida Pageant is Feb. 18 at the festival.
And on Feb. 25, the Lunar New Year Dragon Parade will take place along Thornton Avenue in the Mills 50 area.
According to clickorlando.com. Source of photos: internet
