Support Chinese Businesses + Attend Events Celebrating the 2022 Lunar New Year

On Tuesday, Feb. 1, the Lunar New Year begins, celebrating the year of the tiger. Each year of the lunar calendar is represented by one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. According to this video from CNN, the Lunar New Year is the most important celebration on the Chinese calendar and marks the second new moon after the winter solstice. This year, the year of the tiger is influenced by the water element. This could be a year of change, abundance and prosperity, according to thechinesezodiac.org. The Lunar New Year lasts until Tuesday, Feb. 15 and concludes with the Lantern Festival, a celebration with dancing, parades and fireworks, as well as traditional foods like the rice ball, known as tangyuan.

Lunar New Year Events in DSM

Grab a Party Bag

The Forest Avenue Library will ring in the Lunar New Year by handing out a Year of the Tiger party bag while supplies last. The bag includes:

• Dragon dance craft •
• “Gourd Crab Shrimp Fish” game
• Lucky red envelope

Stop by between Saturday, Jan. 29 and Saturday, Feb. 5 to pick up your bag and celebrate the coming of spring and the Lunar New Year. Find more information here.

See a Show About Chinese Culture

On Saturday, Jan. 22 and Sunday, Jan. 23, immerse yourself in Shen Yun, two hours of performances in a journey through 5,000 years of Chinese culture at the Des Moines Civic Center. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Learn more or buy tickets to the performance here.

Watch the trailer for Shen Yun below:

Learn About Chinese Traditions

You can also celebrate the Lunar New Year with CultureALL Ambassador Phoebe Liang D’Alessandro, who will share Lunar New Year traditions with K-5 children and their caregivers, on Saturday, Feb. 5 at Waukee Public Library. Register for the event, which begins at 10 a.m.

Support Local Chinese and Asian Businesses

Check out these local businesses offering Chinese cuisine in the region.

• China Café, 71 E. Jefferson St., Winterset, facebook.com/www.chinacafe.winterset
• Hy-Vee Chinese, locations across DSM, hy-vee.com
• Jade Garden, 602 N Ankeny Blvd, Ankeny, jadegardenankeny.dineblast.com
• Shanggau Cgubese Restaurant, 33 NE Carefree Lane, Waukee, shanghaiwk.com
• Wasabi Ankeny, 1615 SW Main St. Ste. 100, Ankeny, wasabidsm.com

Looking for a way to help kids to celebrate the Lunar New Year? Watch videos featuring Lunar New Year stories here or sing along with the video below featuring a Happy Lunar New Year song from Sesame Street:

 

You can also read a more extensive write-up on the Chinese New Year from Timothy Perkins, Greater Des Moines Partnership blog contributor and Diversity and Inclusion Committee member, here.

Greater Des Moines (DSM) welcomes diverse talent to the region. As one of the fastest growing business communities, inclusion and attracting diverse talent in the workplace is a key strategy of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Learn more here.

The Greater Des Moines Partnership calendar of events is a one-stop resource for activities taking place throughout the region. Find networking information for Greater Des Moines (DSM) businesses or events specific to Downtown DSM.