Note: A version of this article was published in the Concord Bridge.
The scent of traditional Asian food wafted through the red lantern-lined Concord-Carlisle High School cafeteria on Saturday, February 7, as families from Concord and Carlisle gathered for the town’s third Lunar New Year Festival.
The festival traces its roots to a small celebration begun in the 2000s by Carlisle’s Chinese teacher, Chiao Bin Huang. After the tradition paused during the pandemic, Chinese teachers from Concord and Carlisle collaborated to revive it—this time on a much larger scale.
CCHS Chinese teacher and event organizer, Agnes Han, expressed that while many nearby towns like Lexington, Acton, and Newton also have such festivals, they draw primarily Asian attendees. “It’s very hard for [people without Asian heritage] to get involved, so I think it’s important to share [this culture] by using activities to engage people, Han said. “We want to make [people] a part of the event, not just [have them] show up.”
The CCHS Far East Association spent the past year planning and fundraising for the festival. “Before, it’s just been a couple of Chinese classes singing on stage,” said CCHS sophomore, Oliver Kuo, one of the club’s student leaders. “Now, we have 600-700 people coming.”
Increased involvement from Concord Middle School also contributed to the event’s growth.
CMS Chinese teacher, Jennifer Cheng, said that more of her students took part this year, performing in the Chinese yo-yo showcase, presenting shadow puppets, and exhibiting projects. “In the early stage, if [students] get involved in culture, they feel more connected to the language,” Cheng said.
Throughout the cafeteria, attendees explored Chinese knotting, face painting, dumpling-making, calligraphy, and food stations. At the New England Chinese Cultural Studio’s craft station, member Teresa Lu showed visitors how to print auspicious phrases like “年年有余 (nián nián yǒu yú),” meaning “may you have abundance year after year.”
Beyond the cafeteria, the CCHS Ping Pong Club hosted its Lunar New Year tournament, drawing in over 80 participants. Club leader Dylan Yang hoped the event could “bring the sport to more of the population.”
In the library, the CCHS Tai Ji Club hosted a mini-class, while the auditorium featured vibrant performances including Chinese yo-yo, dragon ribbon dance, Sichuan face-changing, and K-pop choreography.
CCHS sophomore Gena Wang, originally from Shanghai, marked past holidays by going to her hometown and eating dinner with family. Celebrating here with the local community still gave her “a sense of belonging.”
The festival’s appeal extended beyond those who traditionally celebrate Lunar New Year. First-time attendee and CCHS senior Maria Kielczewska described the festival as “an extremely fun way to learn more about Chinese culture and a lot of other Asian cultures,” adding that it was a “beautiful way to showcase the diversity of this town.”
Yeso Kim, a Far East Association leader, felt that in Concord, “we don’t do that enough where it’s just everyone getting together in one place to just share a moment of happiness and celebration, even with people you’re not that familiar with.” She called the festival “a good excuse to get together as one whole community.”
The event wrapped up with a performance of “Tomorrow Will Be Better,” led by the Class of 2026 alongside CCHS, CMS, and Carlisle students. As the students sang, photos and videos from the seniors’ kindergarten through 12th-grade Chinese classes played in the background. At the close, red and gold confetti showered the stage as students embraced.
CCHS senior Alicia Kaminsky described the moment as “bittersweet,” expressing her unwillingness to leave behind all of the “friendships [she has] made and the experiences [she] had through the program.”
