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A Vibrant Celebration of Food, Music, and Dance at Seattle Center Saturday, November 4
SEATTLE – The spirit of Seattle Center Festál continues with Seattle Hmong New Year on Saturday, Nov. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (day program) and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. (evening concert). The celebration will take place at the Seattle Center Armory Food & Event Hall, in collaboration with the Hmong Association of Washington. This free, family-friendly event is open to all.
“This festival is so special and unique here in Washington State; we have such vibrant clothing with tons of textile patterns, amazing food, fun dances, unique musical instruments, and a complex history,” said Hmong Elder Program Coordinator, Ma Cha. “In other states, Hmong communities are able to celebrate their New Year events for a whole weekend or even a week, but in Washington, we just have one day and that makes everyone in the community want to participate, gather, and enjoy the festival even more.”
The Seattle Hmong New Year Festival is a cherished tradition, that honors community elders during the culmination of the harvest season. It is a heartwarming community gathering, featuring time-honored dances, delicious Hmong cuisine, and a splendid display of intricate textile clothing and Fashion of the Hmong Diaspora.
“Our One Seattle vision looks to forge connections among the diverse communities within our city and celebrate their cultural traditions,” said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. “Seattle Hmong New Year Festival is a wonderful opportunity for our city to come together and experience the traditions, customs, food, dance, and music of the Hmong community.
This year, the festival’s theme celebrates elders and showcases an exhibit that educates the community about Hmong people. Attendees can look forward to a lively schedule of traditional dances and songs, from NewSONG, Soal, KaLia Universe, KT Killing Em, and more. An extensive Hmong heritage exhibit of artifacts and artisan work in partnership with the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, and Pov Pob, a traditional ball-tossing courtship ritual. With plenty of children’s activities and delicious food, all are welcome to join the vibrant Hmong community in Seattle for a festival celebration.
The Hmong New Year celebration holds a significant place in the hearts of the Hmong people. It is a time for expressing gratitude to their ancestors and welcoming a fresh start. This festival holiday is the most significant in Hmong communities worldwide. While traditionally spanning ten days, it has been condensed in the United States.
“The Seattle Hmong New Year Festival is a vibrant celebration that highlights one of the many rich cultures that makes Seattleso special,” said Seattle Center Director Marshall Foster. “We’re glad that Seattle Center’s Festal Series can host this celebration once again.”
The Hmong are a distinct ethnic group, known for preserving their unique language, customs, and way of life while integrating aspects of the countries they call home, as they don’t have a homeland of their own.
For a full schedule of festival activities, visit the Seattle Center website.
About Hmong Association of Washington
The Hmong Association of WA (HAW) started in 1983 to serve the Hmong American community in Washington. Today, based on the last census in 2010, there are more than 2,400 in Washington. HAW aims to preserve and promote Hmong culture and education in the community and advocate for the Hmong people. It hopes to meet the diverse needs of Hmong refugee and immigrant communities in Washington through empowering resources.
More information on the festival is available at seattlecenter.com and hmongofwa.org.
About Seattle Center Festál
Seattle Center Festál cultivates a deeper understanding of the cultures and ethnic diversity that contribute to the rich vibrancy of the Pacific Northwest. This unique series links together 24 free festivals presented on weekends from January to November, each with its own cultural focus, identity, and range of engaging activities. Seattle Center Festál is Where the World Gathers to celebrate the people, the places, the stories, and the traditions of the city’s communities. Seattle Center Festál is produced in partnership with 24 different community groups and supported by City of Seattle, Seattle Center Foundation, 4Culture, and KUOW. Festál is also part of the ArtsFund Cultural Partners Network.
About Seattle Center
Connect to the extraordinary at Seattle Center, an active civic, arts, and family gathering place in the core of our city and region. Seattle Center’s 74-acre campus, centered around the International Fountain, is part of the Uptown Arts & Cultural District and home to Climate Pledge Arena; more than 30 cultural, educational, sports, and entertainment organizations; and a broad range of public and community programs. In everything it does, Seattle Center’s mission is to create exceptional events, experiences, and environments which delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities.
Seattle Center has expanded its role to provide maintenance and public safety services for Seattle’s new Waterfront Park, a series of new public spaces on Seattle’s downtown waterfront between Pioneer Square and the Seattle Aquarium. Seattle Center supports managing these new waterfront public spaces in partnership with the non-profit Friends of Waterfront Seattle, which offers the community a range of recreational and cultural programming. Thanks to the support of Official Seattle Center Partners – Alaska Airlines, The Climate Pledge, Coors Light, Pepsi, Premera Blue Cross, Symetra, T-Mobile, and WaFd Bank – Seattle Center is the #1 arts and entertainment destination in the Pacific Northwest with 12 million annual visitors, generating $1.864 billion in business activity and more than $631 million in labor income annually. www.seattlecenter.com
