.Members of the Chinese community in Tralee with Tralee Chamber CEO Colette O’Connor and President Nathan McDonnell at the launch of the Tralee Chinese New Year Festival which takes place this Saturday. Photo by Dermot Crean
DON’T forget to call down to The Square this Saturday when a dreary January day will be livened up with the sights and sounds all things Chinese.
It’s all to celebrate the Chinese New Year with the local community from China and Malaysia will bring colour to the area as they did at a very successful first festival of its kind back in January 2020.
Obviously, due to COVID, it’s been on hiatus for the past three years, but tomorrow the people of Tralee have a chance to immerse themselves in the culture, history and traditions of China with traditional music, instruments and dress.
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Event Organiser Angie Baily said: “We are very excited to be back in Tralee Town Square after three years and are very grateful to the Tralee Chamber Alliance for all their support.”
“We look forward to welcoming acts from local Chinese, friends of China, and students from China as well as Chinese-Malay students. We hope to see a big gathering on Saturday in the Square from 1-4 pm to enjoy our traditional Chinese dumplings, singing, dancing, musical and martial arts performances,” said Angie.
There will be lots of entertainment and exciting events lined up for all the family including ‘Dumplings, Dragons & Red Envelopes’, where you can enjoy Chinese dumplings and music performances from local Chinese families and students (2pm).
Local businesses are also offering new year discounts inside red envelopes available from participating businesses. Immerse yourself in the culture, history and traditions of China with traditional music and dress at ‘Sights And Sounds of China’ from 1pm to 4pm.
You can also enjoy taster sessions in traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture and Qi Gong at ‘Mind and Body’ from 2pm.
.Members of the Chinese community in Tralee with Tralee Chamber CEO Colette O’Connor and President Nathan McDonnell at the launch of the Tralee Chinese New Year Festival on Tuesday morning. Photo by Dermot Crean
THE Square in Tralee will come alive to the sights and sounds all things Chinese at the end of the month as the Chinese New Year celebration returns to Tralee after a very successful first festival back in January 2020.
Due to COVID restrictions it’s been on hiatus for the past three years, but Tralee Chamber has teamed up with the east Asian community to put on events on Saturday, January 28th.
The people of Tralee and beyond are invited to immerse themselves in the culture, history and traditions of China with traditional music, instruments and dress.
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Event Organiser Angie Baily said: “We are very excited to be back in Tralee Town Square after three years and are very grateful to the Tralee Chamber Alliance for all their support.”
“We look forward to welcoming acts from local Chinese, friends of China, and students from China as well as Chinese-Malay students. We hope to see a big gathering on Saturday 28th in the Square from 1-4 pm to enjoy our traditional Chinese dumplings, singing, dancing, musical and martial arts performances,” said Angie.
There will be lots of entertainment and exciting events lined up for all the family including ‘Dumplings, Dragons & Red Envelopes’, where you can enjoy Chinese dumplings and music performances from local Chinese families and students (2pm).
Local businesses are also offering new year discounts inside red envelopes available from participating businesses.
Immerse yourself in the culture, history and traditions of China with traditional music and dress at ‘Sights And Sounds of China’ from 1pm to 4pm.
You can also enjoy taster sessions in traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture and Qi Gong at ‘Mind and Body’ from 2pm.
.The Chinese New Year Festival in Tralee back in 2020 was a colourful affair. Photo by Dermot Crean
TRALEE Chamber is planning to bring back Chinese New Year celebrations for the town later this month.
They last held a festival to mark the event back in 2020, which proved an entertaining success with parades and events held over the course of two weekends.
This year’s Chinese New Year celebration in Tralee will take place on Saturday, January 28 and Sunday, January 29.
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On the Saturday there will be ‘Dumplings, Dragons & Red Envelopes’ from 1pm to 5pm at The Square. There will also be Sights & Sounds of China also from 1pm – 5pm at The Square while ‘Mind & Body’ at 2pm in The Square.
Sunday will see ‘Make & Do Workshops’ from 1pm – 4pm at Ballyseedy Home & Gardens. People can get involved in the culture, history and traditions of China with traditional music, instruments and dress. More details of the events will be released in the coming weeks.
.The ‘Lion and Dragon Ritual’ performers in The Square on Saturday. Photo by Dermot Crean
THE Square was alive with colour on Saturday and as the Chinese New Year festival in town continued.
The ‘Lion and Dragon Ritual’ which saw 19 performers with two lions and a dragon entertained those present while ‘A Taste Of Asia’ held in association with Taste Kerry brought a food and flavours market with tasters, demonstrations and workshops in the marquee. It continues later this afternoon.
It certainly brought a crowd into town during a Saturday afternoon in early February and hopefully it’s something they can grow and market further to the wider Chinese community in Ireland for next year. Scroll down for photos…
The ‘Lion and Dragon Ritual’ performers in The Square on Saturday. Photo by Dermot Crean.The ‘Lion and Dragon Ritual’ performers in The Square on Saturday. Photo by Dermot CreanThe ‘Lion and Dragon Ritual’ performers in The Square on Saturday. Photo by Dermot Crean.The ‘Lion and Dragon Ritual’ performers in The Square on Saturday. Photo by Dermot CreanThe ‘Lion and Dragon Ritual’ performers in The Square on Saturday. Photo by Dermot Crean
.Launching the upcoming Chinese New Year Festival at Tamarind Restaurant on Tuesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
DETAILS of the much-anticipated line up of events for the inaugural Chinese New Year Festival in Tralee were announced this morning through the events team in Tralee Chamber Alliance.
The first Festival of the New Year in Tralee celebrates Chinese and Irish Communities and Culture and promises to deliver a spectacle of events from January 24, right through to February 2.
Chinese New Year is the Chinese festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese calendar and the festival is usually referred to as the Spring Festival in mainland China.
The event organisers are embracing this concept and are creating a series of immersive and spectacular activities throughout the festival, including the traditional Lions and Dragon Dances in the town centre, a 1000 Lights Ceremony and a taste of Asia food market to name but a few of the highlights.
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As 2020 is the ‘Year of the Rat’ the organisers are looking for ‘Rat Pack’ Volunteers to help out at a number of events. People interested in volunteering are asked to contact Bryan Carr at bryancarr7@live.com for details.
Bryan Carr of Shannonstar Entertainment has been drafted in to support the Chamber in organising the festival, he stated; “It’s quite exciting being involved in the inaugural Chinese New Year Festival in Tralee, and we want to set a very high standard to make this an annual event”.
Launching the upcoming Chinese New Year Festival at Tamarind Restaurant on Tuesday were, seated from left; Angelina Ong of Tamarind, President of Tralee Chamber Alliance Kevin McCarthy, Mayor of Tralee Cllr Jim Finucane, Angie Baily and Chris Sun of Hillbillys Tralee. At back are nursing students at IT Tralee from China. Photo by Dermot Crean
In advance of the festival, the organisers are hosting a ‘Day of Cleaning’ event in the town centre on Saturday, January 18 from 1 to 4pm.
In Chinese culture it is tradition to clean the dust away to welcome in new things, and much like in our own culture we undertake a big clean in advance of welcoming visitors to our home.
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Tralee Tidy Towns, Tidy Tralee Together & Team Bramble, together with the support of the Chamber’s Glan team are welcoming everyone from Tralee to come in on the 18th, even for a half hour during the ‘Day of Cleaning’ to give the town centre a quick dusting in advance of the events.
Ken Tobin, CE of Tralee Chamber Alliance said; “Going forward we want to ensure that all events held in Tralee have a positive impact on our environment, and are as sustainable as possible, so each event we are involved with will have a clean-up day as part of their plan”.
The festival kicks off with an opening ceremony on Friday, January 24 in the Mall, where traditional Chinese Lanterns, which will be adorning the town centre, will be switched on to the sights and sounds of a traditional Chinese Dragon, as Tralee welcomes in the Lunar New Year.
One key event for the Festival will be the Red Envelope and Dumpling Day. The town square will feature some traditional Chinese cooking and dumpling making with Chinese music and activities.
In Chinese culture the colour red symbolises energy, happiness and good luck, and on Red Envelope Day gifts and money are shared in these Red Envelopes to share even more happiness.
Red Envelope Day will take place in Tralee on Saturday 25th as part of Red Envelope and Dumpling Day in the square.
The aptly named ‘Rat Pack’ (as 2020 is the Year of the Rat) will be around Tralee handing out information on the festival and directing you to where you can get a red envelope.
Red Envelopes will be available from selected restaurants and cafes in Tralee with each purchase, as long as stock lasts.
Each Red Envelope will contain something different, from big discounts in local shops, Tralee Shopping Vouchers and some will contain prizes from shops in Tralee town.
Kevin McCarthy, President of Tralee Chamber Alliance stated “it’s important that each event held in Tralee has an economic impact on the town, and the Red Envelope day will directly support spending in Tralee”.
Midweek from the 27th to the 31st primary school kids throughout Tralee will be hosting a series of workshops that will bring the culture and traditions of China to life in the classroom, all building up to the big CNYTralee festival weekend in Tralee on the 1st and 2nd of February in Tralee.
On the first weekend of February Tralee becomes a real ‘China Town’ with a series of events throughout the weekend in town, including the famed Chinese Dragon performance in the town square, the 1000 lights ceremony, workshops and events in businesses throughout Tralee, a ‘Taste of Asia’ food fair, and a ‘sights and sounds’ of China with Chinese music and dress.
The event is developed by Tralee Chamber Alliance with support from NEWKD and Kerry County Council, and assistance from Failte Ireland, the Tralee Chinese Community and local businesses.
