Vietnamese New Year Enlivens Westminster

Vietnamese New Year, or Tet, celebrations kick off this weekend in Westminster with a string of events to ring in the Year of the Snake.

Firecrackers, dragon dances and giveaways for children will be part of the festivities.

There will be carnival rides, games and more than 50 booths, some serving traditional Vietnamese food.

A Vietnamese Village will feature arts and crafts demonstrations and activities.

The festival will be from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. today and Sunday, presented by the Union of Vietnamese Student Assns. of Southern California.

Attendance in the past has topped 50,000 per weekend, said Lt. Mitch Waller of the Westminster Police Department.

“We always run out of parking,” said Waller, who recommends car-pooling.

Monroe and 13th streets will be partially closed for the event.

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Year of the Snake

Thousands will celebrate the Vietnamese New Year in Tet events this weekend at the Westminster Civic Center complex. Admission for the festival is $4 for adults and $2 for children. The schedule:

Saturday

10:00 Festivities begin

Noon Opening Ceremony

1:00 Dragon Dance

1:30 Dang Thong Phong Martial Arts School

2:00 Kien An Martial Arts School

2:30 Gia Dinh Phat Tu Lam Ti Ni (Dance)

2:40 Gia Dinh Phat Tu Chanh Phap (Dance)

2:50 Hapkido Martial Arts School

3:30 Vong-Tay (Group)

3:45 Thieu Nhi Thanh The (Dance)

3:55 Giang’s High School (Dance)

4:05 Gia Dinh Phat Tu Lam Ti Ni (Dance)

4:15 Vong-Tay (Group)

4:30 High School Alliance (Dance)

5:00 Band Setup

6:10 Chieu Phuong (Singing)

6:25 Lam Gia Minh (Dance)

6:40 Minh Phuong (Magic Show)

7:10 Tam Khanh (Singing)

7:25 Steven Mai (Skit)

7:40 Gia Dinh Phat Tu Chanh Pap (Dance)

7:45 Minh Duc (Singing)

8:00 - 10:00 Fashion Show

Sunday

10:00 Festivities begin

11:00 Opening Ceremony

Noon Dragon Dance

1:00 Pham Van Luan Martial Arts

1:45 Tre Em Mac Quoc Phuc Dep Contest

3:45 Duong Son Dai Huynh Martial Arts School

4:15 Winners and Prizes for costume contest

4:45 Vovinam Martial Arts School

6:00 - 10:00 College Night

6:10 CSUF Wu Shu Team

6:25 UCR Performances

6:35 CSUF (Chanh & Loane)

6:45 Tran Thai Van (Speech)

6:55 CSUF (Chanh’s Friend)

7:00 Fashion Show

7:15 UCLA Performance

7:25 UCR Alumni (Lan Nguyen)

7:30 Fashion Show (Part 2)

7:45 CSUF (Khanh Nguyen)

7:50 Speaker

8:00 Fashion Show (Part 3)

8:15 UCI Performances

8:30 Fashion Show (Part 4)

8:45 CSUF Wu Shu Team

9:00 Fashion Show (Part 5)

9:15 CSULB Performances

9:30 CSUF (Loanna)

9:45 A Short Speech From UVSA (Phu Nguyen)

10:00 Events end

Source: Union of Vietnamese Student Assns. of Southern California

Compiled by VIVIAN LeTRAN / Los Angeles Times