Join us for Seattle Center Festál: Hmong New Year Celebration, 11am – 6pm, Saturday, Nov. 4, in Seattle Center Armory. This multi-generational harvest festival seeks to preserve, promote and share its ethnic culture with the broader community. It showcases the intricate needlework, impressive clothing patterns, music, dance, interactive activities for all ages and long rooted traditions of the Hmong people.
In 2017, the festival offers a cooking stage, with hour-long demonstrations at 11am and 1pm, and a demonstration of traditional Hmong head wrapping at noon. It also features a Hmong fashion show, and live music and dance performances highlight traditional Hmong instruments including the Qeej, similar to a flute, and Xim Xaus, a two-stringed violin. Artists include TheLos Wing, a Hmong musical duo from Minnesota, Moua Entertainment from Sacramento, Cal. and Tia Moua, Miss Washington’s Outstanding Teen in 2017, performing jazz and interpretive dance.
Hmong New Year Celebration hosts a Hmong artifacts display and mock Hmong house. Festival-goers may purchase Hmong clothing, books and CDs/videos as well as Hmong-inspired foods including Hmong sausage, sticky rice, papaya salad, nam vam (tri-color dessert) barbeque chicken and fare prepared by the Lao-American Tuk Tuk food truck and Thai-Lao food vendor, Spicy Papaya. Children may learn how to make Hmong ornaments and Hmong instruments out of wood pieces.
In 2017, Seattle Center Festál celebrates 20 years of global music, dance, art, crafts, history, food and insight presented through a unique partnership among community organizations and Seattle Center. Festál provides a stage and platform for them to share their traditions, accomplishments and artistic expression. Festál events captivate and enlighten festival-goers as they experience the distinct cultures that shape the character and course of our broader community.
Seattle Center Festál is a program of Seattle Center Productions. Admission is free-of-charge. For more information on Hmong New Year, click here, and to learn more about this collection of ethnic cultural events and other Seattle Center public programming, visit Seattle Center or call 206-684-7200
