The Toronto Chinatown Business Improvement Area (Chinatown BIA) launches the start of a 15-day celebration with a lantern exhibition, games and performances that showcase Asian New Year traditions.
The Dragon City Mall at Spadina and Dundas is overflowing with people who have come to ring in the Chinese Lunar New Year, the year of the rat. The Toronto Chinatown BIA launched their 15-day fete of the Lunar New Year with the 2020 Toronto Chinatown Lunar New Year celebration and it has brought everyone together.
People are filling up the staircases and balconies of the two floors in the mall and main lobby, which has volunteers dressed in red handing out red envelopes with candy inside to everyone who comes through the main doors.
When, looking up, hundreds of beautifully decorated Chinese paper lanterns hang from the ceiling. The Ontario College of Art and Design’s lead artist and curator Puff Paddy is responsible for the creation of these modern lanterns.
Through the lobby and inside the mall, a small stage is set where traditional Chinese music, dance performances, a magic show, cooking demonstration and a Chinese zodiac signs lecture took place.
- Tonny Louie (Chair of Chinatown BIA) & Mayor John Tory (City of Toronto) are just some of the VIP guests in attendance.
Casino Woodbine is the lead sponsor of the festivities at the Chinatown BIA. They are leading an activity where people can spin a wheel for a chance to win prizes. Gerrad Palamodian, VIP events coordinator of the Casino Woodbine is here representing the casino.
“I want to thank the Chinatown BIA for having us as a title sponsor, I want everyone to have a nice prosperous year of the rat,” said Palamodian. “Casino Woodbine is going to have 5000 machines and 500 tables. The year of the rat is such a fortunate year for us.”
This celebration, although Chinese in origin, is welcome for all to enjoy. Suryati Tirtayasa, a Humber College international student, came to the mall to run errands for school and was surprised by the celebration as she had no clue it was happening.
“I can’t celebrate Chinese New Year because my family is in my hometown, usually on the eve of Chinese New Year my family and I have roast pig. It was nice to witness this celebration, it made me miss my family,” said Tirtayasa.
Eleanor Rosenberg, a young mother decided to come to the Dragon City Mall because she wanted to do something fun with her day.
“I have gone to Chinese New Year’s events growing up in Vancouver, it’s beautiful and interesting and I was looking for something to do today. My sister-in-law sent me a red envelope for my son yesterday, we put a red vest on him today,” said Rosenberg.
Dragon dancers march to the beat of the drums and make their way through the crowd.
Rosenberg said, “Oh good, my son has been looking for the dragons.”