By Gen Heywood | FāVS News Photographer
Spokane’s fifth annual Lunar New Year celebration filled the Convention Center with dragon dancers, taiko drummers, food vendors and families on Saturday, as more than 20,000 people gathered to ring in the Year of the Fire Horse.
The free event featured live performances, a petting zoo, games and 5,000 red envelopes containing $20,000 in prizes — a celebration that has grown exponentially since its humble beginnings in 2022.
“Year of the Fire Horse is a symbol of this intense passion and really vivid energy,” said Vina Cathcart, co-founder of Spokane United We Stand, which organizes the event. “You always want to start a new year with this intense passion and this vivid energy to really grasp everything that you want for the new year.”
The celebration began four years ago as Asian and Pacific Islander communities came together with allies to respond to anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic. That first event at Riverfront Park’s Pavilion drew unexpected crowds.
“The expectation was for 500 to 1,000 people,” Cathcart said. “It turned out that we had lines that reached from the Pavilion all the way to the Davenport Grand. People waited for hours, and they were very happy waiting for it.”
The event has since moved twice to accommodate growing attendance — first to the old convention center, then to the current facility.
Keeping the event free remains a priority, Cathcart said, made possible through sponsors including the city of Spokane and Spokane Police Department.
“I’m just a true believer in exposing, especially our youth, to as many cultures and experiences as they can,” she said. “And to make it free helps out.”
A small history exhibit near the stage acknowledged the complexity of that partnership, documenting times when the city and police were part of harm done to Asian communities in the past. The sponsors’ current support, organizers said, represents a new chapter.
Mayor Lisa Brown read a declaration naming Feb. 14 as Lunar New Year Day in Spokane.
“We so value the Asian communities that we have here in Spokane, and their history of labor and work to help build our city and railroads,” Brown said, noting that millions worldwide celebrate the ancient holiday.
City Council President Betsy Wilkerson, Spokane Valley Vice Mayor Tim Hattenberg and City Council member Michael Cathcart also attended.
The event fell on Valentine’s Day rather than closer to the actual Lunar New Year date of Feb. 17 due to logistical and cost considerations, Cathcart said. Rising costs due to tariffs and a 150% increase in fireworks expenses led organizers to redirect funds toward performers and local businesses.
This year’s celebration expanded food vendor offerings after attendee requests.
“The greatest way to experience different cultures is through food,” Cathcart said.
Ping Ping, a leader with Spokane United We Stand and Washington state commissioner in the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, welcomed the crowd during opening ceremonies.
“Lunar New Year is also known as the Spring Festival. Spring means new beginnings,” Ping said. “When you are with Spokane United We Stand, you are surrounded by warmth, generosity and love.”
Among the performers was Tegan Daniels, a Spanish and secondary education major who has dragon danced for three years after volunteering to stuff red envelopes.
“It is such a fun thing to do,” Daniels said. “I think it’s a great way to meet people that I would never have met.”
First-time attendee Matthew Damon Arnett McDaniel arrived four hours before doors opened, drawn by childhood curiosity about Chinese New Year.
“I feel like it’s a good place to just kind of mesh the cultures,” he said. “It’s just nice to see everybody getting along.”
Spokane Falls Community College students Matthew Jackson and Ryan Bolanos volunteered through their leadership club, seeking to learn more about community involvement.
Asked about current challenges facing immigrant communities, Cathcart emphasized the event’s focus on cultural celebration.
“We want to make sure that this event, especially, is showcasing our immigrant cultures. From Vietnam, to China, to the Philippines, to Taiwan, this event showcases so many cultures,” she said. “Immigrants do contribute to the American fabric of the nation.”
For Cathcart, the celebration holds personal significance for her children.
“I wished there had been something like this when I was young so I could have embraced all the cultures she and her family embody,” she said. “I think it’s very important, and I think it’s important for my kids to learn, so we celebrate both” Eastern and Western cultures.
Spokane’s Asian heritage dates back 171 years, beginning with Chinese settlers followed by Japanese and Filipino immigrants.
FāVS News uses professional journalists and thoughtful commentary to explore faith, values and ethics. Support journalism like this by making a tax-deductible donation. FāVS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
