This past long weekend was a celebration of the Chinese New Year – the Year of the Horse. In recognition of this, a weekend-long event was held at Nathan Philips Square, entitled Toronto Spring Festival Celebration: The Lunar New Year.
This Lunar Festival is a fairly new effort; this was only its second annual. The premiere of this event last year was an enormous success, with over 50,000 people attending.
This weekend there was a Market selling interesting Asian items, plenty of Asian food, and a Main Stage which hosted variety shows and cultural performances. There were also several heated tents where attendees could escape the cold to watch various performances.
Light and fireworks played a large part in the event. In Chinese culture, fireworks are far more than festive lights – they are a profound symbol of courage and hope. Rooted in over 2,000 years of tradition driving away the legendary beast Nian, these lights now shine over Toronto, bridging the past and the future.1
Much of the Festival this year took place on Nathan Phillip Square’s huge ice rink. There was figure skating, showcasing some very talented skaters. The Dragon and Lion Dances also took place on the ice, in addition to a slightly bizarre fashion show.
VIP tickets were available for purchase – this admitted the visitor to reserved seating in the heated tents to experience the robot shows and several other cultural events. The aforementioned robots were brought in from Asia for this event. Apparently one of their main tasks was to dance with performers onstage just before the closing fireworks on Sunday night – I’m not sure how all of that turned out as I didn’t stay long enough to catch the closing event.
Figure Skating
Dragon Dancing
And one of the more oddly-presented fashion shows I’ve ever seen:
Couture on Ice Grand Fashion Show: designer Adam X Atelier presenting
It was a good time, generating positivity and cultural pride; I hope the event continues in the years to come.
1Toronto Spring Festival Website
Wow! This looks like it was a real spectacle. Did you try any Food? It was a little cold but I’m sure people were dressed warmly. Pictures are first rate Marvin. I think this event will get even bigger in the future. I was born in the year of the horse also. How about you?