Lunar New Year Party seeks more sponsors

The Lunar New Year Party committee is still on the lookout for more sponsors for the first Lunar New Year Party that will be held on Saipan this weekend.

The party had an estimated budget of $115,000 for the entire festival and the committee is seeking sponsors to fill the $45,000 left needed to bring in international acrobats.

The $45,000 is for the airfare of the Shanghai Sinma Acrobatic Troupe, a group of 27 gymnasts who have performed internationally.

According to the Lunar New Year Party committee vice chair Gordon Marciano, the event was made possible through the support of the community and their monetary and in-kind donations.

“The $45,000 left will only fund the acrobats and the stage. Everything else has already been contributed,” he said.

The party will not only celebrate the traditional Lunar New Year, but also to entice the community to be educated about the Chamorro and Carolinian Lunar New Year and how it was used hundreds of years ago.

“The celebration will include everyone, not just the Asian community but also locals because every culture has had a Lunar New Year,” said Marciano.

At the final media conference before the event, the Lunar New Year Festival committee finalized most of the details like the lights, stage, sound system, and activities. According to committee chair Charles Cepeda, everything is set for Friday.

“We are just placing the final touches,” he added.

The community should expect amazing live performances from local artists throughout the night leading into the event’s featured performance, the Shanghai Sinma Acrobatic Troupe.

The opening ceremony will begin at 5:15pm at the Garapan Fishing Base. The highlight of the event’s first day is the distribution of 200 red envelopes to 200 children.

The second day will highlight the first dog parade ever to be held on Saipan. The parade is symbolic for the Year of the Dog.

According to Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang, the event is intended to rekindle the islands’ ancient ties to the moon and the night skies.

Apatang said the ancient Chamorros and Carolinians depended solely on the moon and stars to guide their way when crossing the trackless oceans and the goal for the Lunar New Year Party is to bring that feeling back to the indigenous people while allowing tourists a shot at the experience. That explains why the event would also feature celestial navigation and canoe rides.