Celebrate The Chinese New Year Locally

Whether you live in Yorkshire or Lancashire, there is an opportunity to celebrate the Year Of The Dragon this year in style.

Throughout the area, there are a number of events taking place which will help to get you involved.

Sheffield – Weston Park Museum – Saturday 21/01/2012 and Sunday 22/01/2012

Sheffield Museums are holding a specialist event covering a wide variety of things to do and see:

• Chinese food and drink tasting
• Kite making
• Chinese traditional dance exhibition
• Learn Mandarin
• Learn more about Tai Chi
• Chinese calligraphy
• Puppet workshops and more

This is all FREE and is from 11am to 3pm both days. Details are available on the Museums Sheffield website http://www.museums-sheffield.org.uk/whats-on/events/2012/1/chinese-new-year-weekend-saturday

Huddersfield - The National Children's Centre at Brian Jackson House, New North Parade – Saturday 28/01/2012

In celebration of the Chinese New Year, a number of events are taking place at the National Children's centre, including:

• Arts and crafts stalls
• Chinese food stalls
• Chinese lion dance
• Tai chi demonstrations
• Music and dance performances
• Martial arts demonstrations
• Magic show
• Chinese herbs and medicines stall

The event is priced adults £2 children under 12 £1 and will run from 11.30am to 3.30pm. More details can be found via their website http://huddersfieldchinesecommunitycentre.co.uk

Leeds – Leeds Town Hall and The Carriageworks Theatre, Millenium square – Sunday 22/01/2012

With a growing community of Chinese, this event is scheduled to be one of the best to date. The programme of events includes:

• Exhibits of Chinese culture
• Kung fu
• Karaoke
• Face painting
• Trade stands
• Theatrical and musical performances
• Chinese fashion show featuring traditional dress
• Table tennis
• Traditional food and drink

Most of the events are free excluding the theatrical events which cost £3. Details are available via email: lcca@lcca-uk.org

Manchester - Chinatown and Albert Square – starts Friday 27 January with a Variety Show by the Chinese Art Troupe and on Sunday 29/01/2012 head into Chinatown and marvel at the stalls, street performances and the much anticipated high pole lion dance which is anticipated to be the most spectacular in the UK. The 175ft long dragon dance is not to be missed.

Events of all different kinds including:

• a variety of art and dance performances
• over a hundred stalls of Chinese arts and crafts
• traditional food and drink
• Chinese costumes
• Jewellery
• Calligraphy

Not least though, Manchester is putting on a firework display which should be something to behold. The pyro display will begin at approximately 6pm.

So, if you are able to pop along to any of the above events, I am sure that they will be fascinating and a nice reprieve from the usual weekend wanderings.

If you are planning to have small display yourselves, why not come along to our specialist showroom. We stock some of the finest Chinese lanterns available along with sparklers and truly spectacular fireworks. We are just off junction 36 of the M1 or just off the A628. Give us a call, let us know what we can do to help and we will certainly try. So, Happy Year of the Dragon 2012 and we sincerely hope that this year will be even better than last.