The Foster City William E. Walker Recreation Center will awaken on Chinese Lunar New Year’s Day to the vibrant performances, music, and bustling activity of Chinese New Year Celebration 2009, the Year of the Ox.

Presented by the Foster City Arts & Culture Committee, Foster City Parks and Recreation Department, and associated artists and arts and culture groups throughout San Francisco Bay Area, this delightful celebration will be held on Sunday, February 1, 2009, from 11 AM to 3 PM at the Lagoon Room of the Recreation Center. There is no cost to attend.

Themed "Temple Fair", Foster City’s Chinese New Year Celebration 2009 will spotlight a Chinese American re-creation of a traditional village street fair. With dazzling displays of luminous decorations serving as the backdrop, the event will feature exciting musical, acrobatic and lion dance performances, the traditional tea ceremony, the time-honored tradition of tea drinking and the ancient martial arts & performance, Calligraphy, brush painting, art exhibitions, animated storytelling in Chinese, and English and Chinese-opera style face painting.

The 12 Chinese zodiac animal characters will also be featured at the celebration to help greet children and parents. Visitors are encouraged to bring their cameras to snap a fun photo with the lovable Zodiacs characters! Additionally, a variety of enriching workshops will showcase traditional Chinese arts and crafts. Here, visitors may try their hand at Chinese calligraphy, floral pattern designs, Chinese knot-tying and paper-cutting, clay figurine making and paper folding. Cap off the day, by participating in a joyful dance where children and their families are welcome to join dancers and musicians in the beautiful waterfront Lagoon Room.

Chinese New Year Celebration 2009 represents a departure from other cultural celebration events because the focus of the event will be on education alongside entertainment. The event's program has been designed to teach the visiting public about the history, traditions and customs of this historic Chinese holiday. Moreover, with support from the San Mateo/Foster City Unified School District, this event will reach a diverse audience of teachers and students. The Foster City Arts & Culture committee has planned the event to provide information related to the history and values of the holiday as well as providing fun arts and crafts activities for teachers to integrate into their classroom curriculum.

Overall, the event will foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of America's diverse heritage by preserving, and sharing the history, rich cultural legacy, and continuing contributions of Chinese Americans.

For more information about the Chinese New Year Celebration, call the Foster City Recreation Center at 650-286-3380.

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About the Year of the Ox
1/26/2009 - 2/13/2010 (Earth)
According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2009 is the Year of the Ox. The Ox, or the Buffalo sign symbolizes prosperity through fortitude and hard work. Those born under the influence of the Ox or Buffalo are fortunate to be stable and persevering. The typical Ox is a tolerant person with strong character. Not many people could equal the resolution and fearlessness that the Ox exhibits when deciding to accomplish a task. Ox people work hard without complaints at work or at home. They know that they will succeed through hard work and sustained efforts, and do not believe in get-rich-quick schemes.