WESTBROOK — “Noise and color” was on display at the Chinese and American Friendship Association of Maine’s annual Lunar New Year celebration on Saturday.

The all-day event hosted at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center and Middle School featured crafts, performances, and language and culture lessons — all meant to welcome the Year of the Snake and celebrate Maine’s East and Southeast Asian communities.

“Chinese culture has everything. It has music, dance, food. … It has noise and color,” said Bob Poole, president of CAFAM.

Widely observed in China, Vietnam, South Korea and other countries — as well as in immigrant communities around the world — the Lunar New Year is celebrated with carnivals, parades, family gatherings and festivities. Lunar New Year kicked off on Jan. 29 this year, with celebrations continuing for multiple weeks.

Attendees at Saturday’s event in Westbrook could take part in a Tai Chi lesson, learn Chinese phrases, make dumplings, learn about acupuncture, and grab lunch from Kon Asian Bistro.

The event closed out with a showcase of music, dance and opera performed by international students from Bates College.

CAFAM, founded in 1988, has been sponsoring Lunar New Year celebrations in Maine for about 30 years, said CAFAM board member and retired University of Southern Maine professor Ahkau Ng.

The organization welcomes people — Chinese or not — who are interested in Chinese culture. It’s all about building “people-to-people friendships” across cultures, Ng said, especially during a time of rising political tensions between the U.S. and China.

“We find that Americans who come and see Chinese culture like it,” Poole said. “They’re interested, they want to know more, they taste it.”

Craft tables were set up in the school gym so visitors could try their hand at calligraphy and make red envelopes and lanterns.

Portland-based nonprofit I’m Your Neighbor Books had a table displaying books celebrating immigrant stories at Saturday’s celebration. Melia Coletta, director of development for the nonprofit, said the organization has taken part in CAFAM Lunar New Years celebrations for four years.

“We are more dedicated than ever to support our new Mainer communities, specifically through books, because we believe that they create welcoming and belonging, and that creates empathy and understanding with all different folks in Maine,” Coletta said.

Instructors from the Bangor Chinese School taught Chinese language lessons at Saturday’s event and led children in a Chinese Harvest Dance.

Suzhong Tian, vice president of the Bangor Chinese School, said the lessons at the Lunar New Year celebration focused on basics, like counting from 1 to 10 and phrases like “hello,” “thank you,” “you’re welcome” and “do you speak Chinese?”

Bangor Chinese School offers language and culture instruction for all ages, from bilingual day care to adult classes.

“We’re teaching Chinese, we have a Chinese summer camp, we have a trip to China after the summer camp. Students stay with a host family, so (it’s) total immersion,” Tian said.

On top of eating some delicious food, watching mesmerizing performances and learning Chinese phrases, Ng said he hopes people left Saturday’s event with “some idea about how Chinese people, or East Asian people, celebrate the Lunar New Year.”

“It’s supposed to be joyful, noisy, a lot of red color and food,” Ng said.