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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy Prerk
Cambodian New Year Coordinator, Cam-CC
(562) 453-9296, e-mail: nancy@cam-cc.org
http://www.cam-cc.org
2008 Cambodian New Year Events in Long Beach, California
LONG BEACH, CA – The Cambodian Coordinating Council (Cam-CC) is organizing two events for the coming Cambodian New Year Celebration, “Year of the Rat”, 2553 BE. On April 6, 2008, the New Year Parade will proceed on Anaheim Street (starting at the corner of Junipero Avenue), following an interfaith ceremony that will begin at 9:30 am. The parade will end at MacArthur Park, 1321 East Anaheim Street, where a multicultural celebration will be held from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Next, on April 12, the New Year Celebration, a community-wide festival expected to draw tens of thousands of participants, will take place at El Dorado Regional Park, Area III, located at 7550 East Spring Street, Long Beach.
One of the biggest celebrations in the Cambodian culture is the coming of the New Year. This three-day celebration traditionally takes place in April. This year, the celebration falls on April 14, 15, and 16, as calculated by Cambodian astronomers called Horas. Cambodians in Long Beach have joined together and celebrated the New Year on this weekend since the early 90's. In 2005, the community started the New Year Parade along Anaheim Street, which is in the “heart” of the Cambodian community now known as Cambodia Town, the largest Cambodian community in the United States.
The Fourth Annual New Year Parade is an exciting, fun-filled event which will showcase unique and colorful floats, traditional and modern Cambodian dancers, musicians, pedicabs, cyclos, and oxcarts. It is expected to be even more spectacular than last year’s parade, with over 100 parade entrants and 15,000 visitors coming from all over the United States and Cambodia. This year’s parade theme is “Cambodia Town for Diversity”, in recognition of the unifying power that the Parade has among people of all backgrounds and ethnicities.
The festival in MacArthur Park following the parade will showcase traditional and modern Cambodian dances, music, and songs. Local vendors will provide exquisite combinations of cultural food, clothing and crafts, and merchandise. The parade and festival are free to the public and have something for the whole family!
The New Year Celebration at El Dorado Park is an all day event which includes religious ceremonies, Khmer traditional games, activities for kids, face painting, various stage performances, cultural food, and a live band with famous Khmer singers performing throughout the day. Admission tickets are $20 per vehicle if purchased in advance. Tickets will be available at a number of Cambodian businesses throughout Long Beach, including La Lune Restaurant, Mary’s Video, and Kirirom Jewelry. On the day of the event, tickets must be purchased at La Lune Restaurant or the El Dorado Public Library Parking Lot at 2900 North Studebaker Road, at $30 per vehicle. Tickets will not be sold at the park.
The New Year Celebration is a time for joy, unity and friendship among the entire community. Cam-CC wishes everyone good health and longevity for the coming year, as the angels bring peace, happiness, and prosperity to all of us.
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