{"id":187145,"date":"2026-02-21T05:15:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T05:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/187145\/"},"modified":"2026-02-21T05:15:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T05:15:07","slug":"lion-dance-and-cultural-performances-ring-in-lunar-new-year-at-sac-state-the-state-hornet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/187145\/","title":{"rendered":"Lion dance and cultural performances ring in Lunar New Year at Sac State \u2013 The State Hornet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sacramento State celebrated Lunar New Year in an event hosted by the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Center<\/a> Tuesday, Feb. 18. The event, initially scheduled to take place outdoors in the Library Quad and Acorn Amphitheater, was relocated to the University Union due to weather conditions.<\/p>\n

Marking the Year of the Horse<\/a>, this year represents the Chinese Zodiac sign of the confident and responsible<\/a> horse. This Lunar New Year was celebrated with cultural performances from several student performers. These acts ranged from traditional dances and martial arts to singing and food, representing some of the ways Asian culture and identity were commemorated.<\/p>\n

RELATED: Lunar New Year celebrates history, culture and community<\/a><\/p>\n

Andrew Yang, director of the APIDA Center, said he was glad to have had a large turnout despite relocating inside. Yang said that the event\u2019s goal was to give community members an opportunity to interact with a shared holiday that dates back<\/a> to the Shang Dynasty<\/a> from 1600-1046 B.C.E.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have over 7,000 APIDA students on campus and 35 different ethnic groups. That means there are a lot of needs,\u201d Yang said. \u201cCelebrating this event is a step we are taking to acknowledge the different and diverse backgrounds of our APIDA students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yang said the goal was to show multiple different aspects of many cultures that celebrate Lunar New Year. Known alternatively as Chinese New Year; the holiday is celebrated differently across several Asian countries other than China, such as Vietnam, South Korea and Thailand.<\/p>\n

Cyan Vang, a coordinator at the APIDA Center, spoke at the event and said the planning was a long but fulfilling process. Vang said she was appreciative of the community for the showing of support despite relocating inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad we were able to have a good representation with all the student body to be able to come and also participate in the performances,\u201d Vang said.<\/p>\n

The performances consisted of several acts, such as a singing showcase from Carla Marie Baldonado<\/a> and a Filipino martial arts showcase from Samahang Pilipino<\/a>. The event also featured a routine from the Red Lotus Lion Dance Team<\/a>, a traditional Hmong dance from Malli Yang and a performance from Sac State K-Pop team, Krescendo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur performers are students and that is intentional,\u201d Yang said. \u201cWe want to showcase how talented our students are and how diverse our students are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"APIDA Center staff and Red Lotus Lion Dance team stand for a photo after the cultural performances came to a close Feb. 17, 2026. Red Lotus performed two routines during their allotted time. (Ray Kopf<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Minh-Ha Nghiem, a senior nutrition and food major, performed alongside the Krescendo team and said it meant a lot to participate in the event as a Vietnamese American. Nghiem said the event was a \u201cvery heartwarming\u201d opportunity to be able to celebrate with the community and show spirit for the Lunar New Year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all wore red. We all showed out, just showing our spirit for good luck and just hoping we have a good New Year,\u201d Nghiem said.<\/p>\n

Another student who attended the event was Christian Navarro, a senior photography major. Navarro said he attended the event to take photos for University Communications<\/a>.<\/a> He also said he attended for food and community gathering hosted in the APIDA Center following the performances.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was able to get good pictures of the dances that was going on, and [the event] was looking pretty good,\u201d Navarro said. \u201cI enjoyed my time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Following the performances, Sacramento State community members dig into complimentary food provided at the APIDA Center during the Lunar New Year community celebration Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. Early-arriving attendees were gifted red envelopes along with a shirt to commemorate the APIDA Center-hosted event. (Ray Kopf<\/a>)<\/p>\n

As members of the community formed a line into the APIDA Center to converse and eat, they were met with a table holding red fortune cookies, shirts of all sizes and red envelopes to wish them a good Lunar New Year. Karaoke was also set up for attendees to sing various songs with each other as the celebration continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really want to show representation for these [APIDA] students that have a sense of belonging in the community and on campus,\u201d Vang said. \u201cIt really means a lot to see these faces come out and celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n