Canberra’s Asian communities celebrate the Lunar New Year on Sunday 22 January – but the festivities began today in Dickson, Canberra’s Chinatown, and continue tomorrow: teasers for a 12-hour street party next weekend.

“Lunar New Year is a celebration that’s so important to so many people in our community,” emcee Charlie Wan said. “It is a time where we come together to welcome the New Year, bring blessings to all, come together as a family, and honour tradition, culture, and connection.”

At noon today, Chinese lion dancers whirled and cavorted to the beat of drums; women danced immemorial dances, elegantly twirling umbrellas, flamboyantly waving red fans, and brandishing swords; and soloists thrilled the crowd with songs ancient and modern, Eastern and Western.

Tonight (5pm to 8pm) and tomorrow, Saturday 14 January (11.30am to 2.30pm), there will be more entertainment in Woolley Street, Dickson: dragon and lion dancers, Vietnamese singers, Zodiac dancers, kung fu, and presentations by Chinese organisations.

Next Saturday, 21 January, Dickson’s Woolley Street will be closed, as Asian Canberrans celebrate the Year of the Water Rabbit (or the Year of the Cat, in Vietnam).

A Zodiac Rabbit sculpture will be revealed; local businesses will host food and product stalls; there will be live entertainment from an outdoor stage; and a chance to learn calligraphy – or, for the kids, face painting and balloon Zodiac.

“There is going to be something for everyone,” Tara Cheyne MLA, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, said. “Colour, light, movement, community activities, artists, performances … did I mention the food?”

The event is organised by the City Renewal Authority, and supported by Dickson businesses, local cultural associations, SBS, and the Tradies.

Jen Ramsay, from the CRA, has this hot tip: “Book into a restaurant to grab a table so you can get something to eat, and you can enjoy DJs, comedians, local performers, interstate performers, people who’ve performed internationally.”

The Chinese community has celebrated the Lunar New Year for thousands of years, and shares the holiday with many Asian communities, Chin Wong, co-chair of the Canberra Multicultural Community Forum, said.

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Water Rabbit is a symbol of prosperity. People born in its year – 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 – are reputedly gentle, intelligent, and successful; though they can be reserved, they are also loyal and loving.

“The Year of the Rabbit is a year which commands auspiciousness and elegance,” Ms Cheyne said. “Don’t we need a little bit of that after the past few years that we’ve had?”

The three days of festivities are also meant to ‘buck’ up businesses in a quiet season, and help them earn some ‘doe’.

“From buying food and products from the stalls, to making reservations at local restaurants, there are plenty of ways to celebrate while supporting local,” Ms Cheyne said.

The minister believes 2023 will indeed be a prosperous year for Canberra.

The Lunar New Year festivities, Ms Cheyne said, come off a bumper holiday season: Summernats was the biggest in 35 years, and hotel occupancy rates last week peaked at 92.6 per cent – a welcome boost for the accommodation and tourism sectors. National institutions are welcoming droves of people through their doors, which flows on into the ACT economy and local businesses. Next month, the Multicultural Festival will be held for the first time in three years.

“We’re delighted to see [visitors] back in very, very big numbers,” Ms Cheyne said. “So, we’re looking forward to a fantastic and auspicious Year of the Rabbit.”

For the full program of activities, visit act.gov.au/cityrenewal/places/dickson/lunar-new-year