Story and photos by Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer
After a two-year, pandemic-related hiatus, the Chinese and American Friendship Association of Maine hosted its 32nd Lunar New Year celebration to ring in the Year of the Rabbit at Westbrook Middle School on Saturday.
Although it was good to be back, the timing could have been better, said Gary Libby, interim president of CAFAM.
“We ended up with one of the worst dates in history,” he joked.
Sub-freezing temperatures Saturday hampered attendance, Libby said. Typically the event, which includes a performance by Boston-based Chinese Folk Art Workshop, Chinese cooking demonstrations, tai chi lessons, calligraphy, crafts and more, draws about 700. On Saturday, about 200 people filed into the Westbrook Performing Arts Center to see Chinese Folk Art Workshop perform “The Legend Reborn.”
The Chinese and American Friendship Association of Maine, a nonprofit founded in 1988, “provides forums and outreach to promote awareness of and appreciation for Chinese culture,” according to its website. “We invite anyone with an interest in China to become a member.”
CAFAM has several other events on the books for 2023, including the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival potluck picnic at Fort Williams Park on Sept. 24.
Members of the Boston-based Chinese Folk Art Workshop perform at Westbrook Performing Arts Center on Saturday as part of the Chinese and American Friendship Association of Maine’s lunar new year celebration.
Chichun Tsou of Portland writes the Chinese name Snow Lotus during a calligraphy demonstration on Saturday at Westbrook Middle School.
Siblings Ben, left, Eleanor and Alexis Ting of Yarmouth use calligraphy brushes and ink to draw pandas at a craft station Saturday at Westbrook Middle School.
The Boston-based Chinese Folk Art Workshop performed for about 200 people at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center on Saturday to ring in the Year of the Rabbit.
Steve Wong of Brewer and Max Javier-Wong of Gardiner perform a lion dance in the gymnasium at Westbrook Middle School on Saturday as part of The Chinese and American Friendship Association of Maine’s lunar new year celebration.
Sylvie Holmes, a volunteer for The Chinese and American Friendship Association of Maine’s lunar new year celebration, helps Leilani Kim, 5, of Standish create a Chinese dancing lion from paper.
Members of the Boston-based Chinese Folk Art Workshop perform at Westbrook Performing Arts Center on Saturday.
Members of the Boston-based Chinese Folk Art Workshop perform at Westbrook Performing Arts Center on Saturday.
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