Brooklyn Park to Host the Hmong New Year Celebration
The Hmong community is getting ready to celebrate their biggest night of the year.
The cities of Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center are partnering to host the 2022 Hmong New Year celebration.
“This year our theme is Lub Neej Yav Pem Suab, which means, ‘where do we go from here’,” explained Ai Vang, Teen Program Specialist for Brooklyn Park. “It’s about our elders, what they are leaving behind, and how we move forward with our young people.”
The celebration is also being sponsored by Minnesota Zej Zog, non-profit Hmong empowerment organization. Vang says the partnership between the three entities has been productive.
“It’s been a huge event for both Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park, and now to do it with Minnesota Zej Zog, we’re just really looking forward to seeing the community out to celebrate the Hmong culture and new year,” said Vang.
Hmong dancers in traditional dresses celebrate the new year.
Hundreds Expected at the Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center
Several hundred attendees will fill the community activity center in Brooklyn Park. Guests can browse and shop a variety of vendors, feast on a dinner of southeast Asian cuisine, and take in traditional dancing performances.
The Hmong ethnic group is represented by people from Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and China. The group is made up of 18 clans, and within those clans are tribes.
“In the different cultural dances there’s a variety of tribes, so you’ll see people in different cultural wear that represents where that tribe is from,” explained Vang.
The night’s entertainment will also include performances by well-known singers in the community.
“Douachi Yang is pretty popular in the Hmong community,” said Vang. “Also performing this year is Betty who’s coming in from Wisconsin. He’s kind of a newer artist on the rise in the Hmong community.”
The Hmong New Year celebration will take place on December 17th from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center.
Tickets for the event cost $5, and will go on sale November 30th.
You can purchase tickets in person at the Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center, or visit the city’s website and Facebook page.
