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More than 2,200 people welcomed the Year of the Snake during Alexandria’s third annual Lunar New Year festival, held Jan. 25 at the Atrium in Old Town.
The celebration brought together local Asian American vendors, cultural performances, food and activities highlighting traditions from across the region’s Asian American communities.
Organizer Minh Pham said the festival was created to unite residents while giving local AAPI small businesses a free place to showcase their goods and services. He said organizers were amazed by the turnout and the event’s growing sense of community.
Traditional entertainment included a Lion Dance along with Korean, Indonesian and Vietnamese performances. Ông Địa, the Earth God associated with luck, prosperity and protection in Vietnamese culture, also appeared.
Visitors could take part in crafts, receive face paintings inspired by Chinese zodiac animals and pose for photographs while wearing traditional Vietnamese clothing. A Lunar New Year Market featured products and services from local small businesses.
The Lunar New Year began Jan. 29 in 2025, ending the Year of the Dragon and starting the Year of the Snake. Also called the Spring Festival, the holiday marks a new year under the lunar calendar and is traditionally observed for 15 days.
Celebrations commonly honor household and heavenly deities as well as ancestors. The season concludes with the Lantern Festival, which fell on Feb. 12 in 2025.
Pham said the Alexandria event has grown from an effort to demonstrate how different Asian American communities celebrate into a gathering where people of all backgrounds can exchange traditions, learn from one another and enjoy the holiday together.