Tacoma’s Lincoln District Lunar New Year block party is back and ready for the Tiger

The Lincoln District welcomes the return of its annual Lunar New Year celebration Feb. 5, coming off a year without lion dancers in the street, fireworks all around and red envelopes emanating good luck.

Organized by the Lincoln District Business Association, the block party begins at 10 a.m. at Yakima Avenue and 38th Street with a welcome speech by the daughter of Vien Dong owners Thuy-Linh Nguyen and Kevin Le. Mayor Victoria Woodards and other local officials will help kick off the day.

The lion dancers will weave through the streets lighting firecrackers, visiting 20 local businesses along the way, blessing each one with the best of luck for the year to come.

Known as Tet in Vietnamese, the festival marks the first new moon of the lunar calendar, ending 15 days later on the first full moon, signifying the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Debts are settled and houses are cleaned in an effort to rid one’s life of misfortune. It is believed that the color red brings good luck and that the light of lanterns and spark of firecrackers ward off evil spirits.

This year, it begins Feb. 1.

Visitors to previous Lunar New Year festivities in Tacoma, which also fondly commemorates the occasion with the beloved tradition of Monkeyshines, will recognize most of the action, but this year’s event got a boost from the owner of All Star Vintage and new business association president Deserie, who asked that only her first name be used.

In addition to running the shop at 766 S. 38th St., she also leads the Tacoma Sunday Market, an exciting pop-up with clothing, vintage wares, food and music; following monthly markets at Courthouse Square in winter, it will return to the Lincoln High School parking lot weekly starting in May.

That means a pop-up marketplace will join the fun, taking over Yakima Avenue.

Jan Parker Cookery will be on site cooking her super-fresh Filipino food, as well as Big Island Poke from Renton and Civic Roasters, which donates a portion of proceeds from its coffee sales to rotating community organizations. There will also be classic festival foods like kettle corn and cotton candy.

Of course, said Deserie, “All of the restaurants will be open and rockin’.” Food is essential to a proper Lunar New Year.

In a neighborhood with plentiful restaurants, several will offer specials:

• Snag banh mi for just $3.50 at Vien Dong, as well as a hot or cold cup of strong Vietnamese coffee (cafe sua da) for $2.50, until 3 p.m.

• At Bambu, indulge in $4 mini che (9 ounces) in flavors Red Bean Combo, Taro Lover or the Bambu Favorite. Don’t forget a pack of delightful macarons from Seattle-based bakery Macadons, decorated vibrant red and gold in honor of the occasion (limited supply, available starting Feb. 1).

• Flying Boots Cafe: Hit the bar for $3.50 drinks during happy hour, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and dig into a $7.99 chicken fried steak.

A few others will serve their regular menus, including Cafe La Vie, Tho Tuong BBQ, VK Viet Kitchen, M&K Bakery & Deli known for its $5 banh mi and fresh-pressed sugarcane juice, and newcomer Lunar’s Pho, where the banana cake over coconut cream must not be missed. Hong Kong Market also stocks an array of grab-and-go foods made in-house.

Dragon’s Crawfish will open at 1 p.m. The neighborhood is also home to a trio of worthwhile Mexican spots: Taqueria La Michoacana at M Street, Taqueria La Fondita food truck at Tacoma Avenue, and El Zocalo Tortas Y Bakery at G Street.

Outside the food realm, All Star Vintage will offer 25 percent off everything in the store and Byrt & Gertys Kids consignment will host a half-off sale.

Following a rendition of the national anthem by local musician Josiah French, DJ Semaj will spin tunes until 3 p.m.

Cognizant of the pandemic situation, vendors will have extra hand sanitizer and masks on hand, and visitors will be expected to wear masks when inside businesses and not actively eating or drinking.

Deserie, who lives in the neighborhood with her husband and opened her shop in 2018, noted the event’s long history in Tacoma dating back to the 1980s. The 2020 celebration happened, but attendance was overshadowed as the first reports of COVID-19 landed in Seattle.

“It’s been a rough couple of years,” she said. “We’re really excited that we’re able to bring it back.”

Interested in more Lunar New Year festivities? The Asia Pacific Cultural Center will host its annual event Feb. 19 at Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood. This event showcases live entertainment from local groups representing more than two dozen Asian nations, with the focus this year on China. There you’ll also find plenty of food, crafts and more family activities.

LUNAR NEW YEAR - LINCOLN DISTRICT

▪ Feb. 5, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at 38th Street and Yakima Avenue, lincolndistricttacoma.square.site

▪ Details: lion dancers, music, food and a pop-up marketplace; parking available on nearby streets and at Lincoln High School

LUNAR NEW YEAR - ASIA PACIFIC CULTURAL CENTER

▪ Feb. 19, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Sharon McGavick Center at Clover Park Technical College, 4500 Steilacoom Blvd., Lakewood

▪ Details: food, crafts and family-friendly activities, plus live performances; free admission

This story was originally published January 31, 2022 at 10:00 AM.