Vividly colored lions leaped in the air while a 50-foot-long dragon slithered above Moore Street Sunday, charming the large crowd gathered to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Those performances, along with several numbers by the Boston Korean Traditional Dance Group, were part of the Belmont Pan-Asian Coalition’s (BPAC) annual Lunar New Year Festival and Parade to welcome the Year of the Snake.
“It’s a sign of solidarity and acceptance,” said lifelong resident Molly Calkins before Tiger Crane Kung Fu performed an elaborate lion dance to the beat of drums. “I wish I had this [type of celebration] when I was growing up.”
According to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, the Lunar New Year marks the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is the most important holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and countries with a significant overseas Chinese population.
Angela He, who was crowned Miss Chinese, Boston, on Oct.24, 2024, was in Belmont to take part in the Lunar New Year celebration. (Bruce Coulter/Belmont Voice) 
People came in droves, taking advantage of a warm February day, to enjoy the Belmont Pan Asian Coalition Lunar New Year event on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (Bruce Coulter/Belmont Voice) 
The Boston-Korean Dance Troupe, whose members include Jessica Park, Helena Anderson, Josie Cheung, and Young Un Kim, performed a fan dance for onlookers. (Bruce Coulter/Belmont Voice) 
Hung Goon appeared as the God of Fortune and passed out candy to children during the Belmont Pan Asian Coalition Lunar New Year event on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (Bruce Coulter/Belmont Voice) 
Members of BPAC, the Chinese American Heritage Foundation, Belmont police and fire officials, and many others posed for a group photo. (Bruce Coulter/Belmont Voice) 
An expensive Lamborghini wowed spectators during BPAC’s Lunar New Year event. The car was one of many that paraded through Belmont as part of the 5th Annual Greater Boston Lunar New Year Rolling Parade. (Bruce Coulter/Belmont Voice) 
Wilson Lee, co-founder of the Chinese American Heritage Foundationb, took part in BPAC’s Lunar New Year event on Feb. 23, 2025. (Bruce Coulter/Belmont Voice)
This year, the spring festival started on Jan. 29 and lasted 15 days.
Julie Wu, BPAC co-founder and president, said the group decided to celebrate in Belmont Center because “we want to be somewhere where everyone can join in.”
“I think it’s great they have this [event],” said resident Evan Chen, who was glad to bring his two sons to learn more about Chinese culture.
Several nonprofit organizations set up booths that offered arts and crafts, snacks, and information on their diverse causes and goals.
Welcoming visitors under his tent, Josh Lunde-Whitler of Belmont’s Payson Park Church said the religious organization came to support the community as well as two members who are part of BPAC.
Lunde-Whitler, the church’s youth and community outreach minister, said it is important to see diversity and difference “as something to be celebrated” rather than something to fear. Noting many people live in isolated bubbles, he said it is helpful “to be more aware [of] and participatory [with] the diversity right in our midst.”
At a nearby booth, members of the Taiwan Film Festival came not only to promote the upcoming movies but to introduce visitors to their traditions.
“We need more voices from different communities … so people can know our culture,” said Jay Tsai, festival co-president.
At another table, resident Tania Dunlap said she brought her children because “it’s really important to showcase inclusion.”
Her husband, Greg Dunlap, echoed her feelings while watching their 7-year-old daughter and 3-year-old boy-and-girl twins.
“I always like attending events that are celebrating other cultures,” he said.
Festival origins
BPAC was created in 2021, and Belmont’s first Lunar New Year festival was held in 2022. The Chinese American Heritage Foundation (CAHF), which had started holding a rolling, multi-town, outdoor car procession in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic, asked if Belmont wanted to be one of the parade stops. Wu said yes, but instead of just having the cars roll through, BPAC went “to town with it and made a whole festival.”
In addition to the Korean dancers’ routine and Tiger Crane’s lion performance, BPAC members themselves made the golden dragon come to life. Held aloft on poles, the mythical creature grooved to the tune “APT,” by Rose and Bruno Mars. Although dragon dances usually are accompanied by drums, Wu said the pop tune was an intentional, international choice because it featured Rose, who is Korean, and Bruno Mars, who is part Filipino.
“We loved it so much and the reaction was so positive that we’re planning on doing more dragon dances in the future,” Wu said.
At the event’s finale, a line of impressive sports cars parked on a blocked-off Moore Street as various VIPs, including Angela He, 2024’s Miss Chinese Boston, arrived to honor Belmont officials.
One of BPAC’s aims in holding the celebration was for people to “see the Asian community as an integral part of Belmont,” said Wu, and to show the community that Lunar New Year is a multicultural event.
“It’s just a way of bringing people together,” she said.
