Previous Story
Lunar New Year Party is the festival to beat
One of the acrobats of the Shanghai Sinma Acrobatic Troupe performs at the Lunar New Year Party at the Garapan Fishing Base last Friday. (Kimberly A. Bautista)
Organizers of the Lunar New Year Party delivered on its promise of a grand party, as hundreds came out, locals and tourists alike, to witness a jaw-dropping program at the Garapan Fishing Base last weekend and to gain knowledge on how the lunar year is incorporated in different cultures.
Despite the pouring rain, the Lunar New Year Party was the festival that could possibly top all the other festivals in the CNMI, according to Gordon Marciano, Lunar New Year Party Committee vice chairman.
On Friday and Saturday, the festival did not see a decrease in the number of people in the audience, thanks to the phenomenal performance of the Shanghai Sinma Acrobatic Troupe.
The public—children, adults, and teenagers alike—were hooked from the beginning of the troupe’s performance, from the extraordinary stunts to the unbelievable acrobatics.
According to festivalgoer Belle David, the festival was unlike any of the ones she has attended over the years. David said the acrobats really made the festival nothing short of amazing.
The festival also highlighted the accomplishments of 200 students from the CNMI public schools. At the festival’s opening ceremony, students from various public schools throughout the Commonwealth were recognized for improving significantly in their studies throughout the first semester of school year 2017-2018. Each student was given a traditional red envelope that children usually get during the Lunar New Year.
One of the festival’s highlights was the first ever dog parade in the Commonwealth, called a Barkus Parade. The parade signified the New Year zodiac sign of the dog. The parade featured over 50 dogs dressed in outfits.
The cultural aspect was in the form of how the lunar calendar was used in celestial navigation in ancient time.
According to Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang, the event turned out better than he expected and he wants to discuss making the event an annual festival because it was both educational and entertaining.
Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Chris Concepcion said that if the committee intends to make it an event annual, MVA would continue to back the committee.
