Lunar Chinese New Year Festival comes to Sheffield

The Children’s Hospital Charity will once again mark the Lunar New Year this February by lighting up Sheffield Children’s Hospital with a 5-meter dragon.

The display is part of a wider Sheffield celebration welcoming the Year of the Dragon, which includes a food festival at the Peace Gardens, a celebration evening at the University of Sheffield’s Octagon Centre, and a dinner at local restaurant China Red.

The five-day event, taking place from Friday 9^th to Tuesday 13^th February, is named Sheffield Chinese Lunar New Year Festival and is an inclusive celebration of the diversity in the city. The festival is spearheaded by Jerry Cheung, MD at New Era Development Ltd, and assisted by Kelvin Quick of China Red, among others, and brings Eastern culture to the heart of Sheffield with food, music and dragon dancing.

The celebrations will begin with the switch-on of the dragon display at Sheffield Children’s. The dragon is positioned on the hospital’s Outpatients Department, overlooking Clarkson Street, and will be illuminated on Friday 9^th February.

The Dragon is possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of businesses, community groups and individuals from across the Sheffield region. Last year supporters raised over £13,000 through their sponsorship, and there is still time to sponsor the dragon this year.

Money raised throughout the festival will support The Children’s Hospital Charity to change lives at Sheffield Children’s.

On Saturday 10^th and Sunday 11^th over 35 stalls will take over the Peace Gardens, with amazing cuisine, art and more.

For the evening of Saturday 10^th February, a celebration with traditional dragon dancing, singing, and much more will grace the Octagon stage. The celebrations will then culminate in a special dinner at China Red for sponsors of the Sheffield Children’s dragon and other key partners in the festival.

After last year’s event Jerry Cheung commented: “I have a very deep passion for community, and obviously, most of us have children in our lives that hold special places in our hearts.

“This event is about culture sharing, bringing communities together; about bringing people together; and at the same time, we’re able to raise money for a good cause.”

Diane Jarvis, Head of Business Operations at Sheffield BID which is supporting the event, said: “We’re delighted to contribute to developing this festival by bringing a new outdoor element to this year’s programme with vibrant cultural activities in the Peace Garden. We’re particularly excited about the planned Dragon Parade on Sunday, 11 February. Extending the festival to attract thousands of visitors to the city centre is a fantastic boost to the city’s major events calendar. We have a great opportunity to build on this event over the coming years. Lunar Chinese New Year celebrations are legendary in other cities and Sheffield has the same ambition.”

Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Skills and Development Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “The Lunar New Year offers a great opportunity for the many diverse communities of Sheffield to come together and celebrate Chinese culture.The year of the Dragon symbolises good fortune, strength, and success which we all hope for, in this year and the years to come.

Martin McKervey, Chair of the Sheffield Property Association said: “The Sheffield Property Association is proud to support the Lunar Chinese New Year Festival. Sheffield is a city of inspiring culture. Every individual and every community in Sheffield thrives when culture and creativity is placed at the heart of the city’s strategic development. The Lunar Festival is important and timely as we celebrate the growing vibrancy in our city with the exciting developments in Heart of the City, Fargate, Castlegate and West Bar.”

To sponsor the dragon, visit this page.

To find out more about the Sheffield Lunar Chinese New Year Festival visit the website.