PHOENIX – Colorful performances, traditional music and savory Asian food highlighted the Lunar New Year Festival on Feb. 1-2 at Steele Indian School Park. The nonprofit Phoenix Chinese Week sponsors the festival every year as a way to promote and educate residents about Asian culture.

In addition to lion dances, martial arts demonstrations and calligraphy lessons, participants learned how to use chopsticks, heard music performances with traditional Chinese instruments and enjoyed other hands-on activities. The festival also offered a diverse selection of Asian cuisine and cultural exhibits.

Local artist Charlotte Yiu shared her passion for Chinese art. “I am here today displaying my Chinese calligraphy and cat-inspired paintings that I have been working on for the past few years,” she said.

The Lunar New Year Festival began Jan. 29 with the new moon and continues until the next new moon. In traditional Asian communities, the holiday is a time for visits with family and feasting. According to the Chinese calendar, this year is the Year of the Snake. The first local Lunar New Year Festival was in 1991 at Patriots’ Park in downtown Phoenix.