After 3-year hiatus, Chinese New Year celebration back at Meridian Mall

OKEMOS − After three years of cancelations and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a free event that brings thousands to Meridian Mall is back in 2023.

Nonprofit Greater Lansing Chinese Association members are raising money for a Chinese New Year celebration scheduled for 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 29.

“We hope we can do something for this community,” Treasurer Yin Zhang said.

The Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, is the most important holiday in several East Asian countries, marking the start of the Chinese lunar calendar. The holiday starts anytime from mid-January to mid-February depending on the year.

This year, the Year of the Rabbit, the date lands on Jan. 22. But due to mall availability the celebration will be held the week after, said Yi Shi, the Greater Lansing Chinese Association’s former president who gave a presentation on the celebration to Meridian Township officials earlier this month.

The event will include stage performances, cultural exhibits and other traditional Chinese cultural activities. Organizers anticipate it will attract thousands of Greater Lansing residents.

Shi said the event has drawn at least 5,000 people in a single year. In the first year, 2013, a lion dance, a traditional dance where performers mimic a lion’s movements in costume to bring good luck, went through the whole mall.

“It's not just for Chinese,” he said. “I think a lot of variety of other people, including a lot of Americans, join the event, so they truly enjoy it.”

Association members started the event with support from PNC Bank, Michigan State University, the township, Lansing Community College and many other organizations.

Members are still seeking sponsorships this year. It costs $3,500 to run the event, and the organization had received $2,000 before Thursday morning, with the Meridian Economic Development Corp. voting to sponsor the event for another $1,000 at its meeting.

Township Treasurer Phil Deschaine has attended the event and said it’s a “great celebration.”

There are a lot of children, a lot of costumes, a lot of activities and he was very supportive of sponsoring the great event that "reflects the values and the culture of our community very well,” he said.

The last time the Chinese New Year Event happened at the mall was in 2019. It was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns and an online Chinese New Year Gala was celebrated in 2021.

Greater Lansing Chinese Association Vice President Jane Li said it’s very exciting the event has returned and there are many talented people who have reached out wanting to join the celebration.

“We really look forward to this happening again,” she said.

People can visit the association’s website for more information and can contact Li at jiae48108@gmail.com. People wishing to sponsor the event can make checks payable to Greater Lansing Chinese Association or GLCA and can send them to 740 W. Lake Lansing Road, Suite 700, East Lansing, MI 48823.

Contact Bryce Airgood at 517-267-0448 or bairgood@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @bairgood123.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Chinese New Year celebration is back at Meridian Mall after 3-year hiatus