The City of New Haven along with Yale University joined forces to celebrate the 9th annual Lunarfest on Saturday.
The event celebrates the Lunar New Year and Chinese culture.
The day started with the Lion and Dragon Dance Parade, paying homage to the nostalgic Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar's lions. Hundreds of people filled the streets to watch as drums and dragons made their way through downtown.
Lunarfest included a host of activities from Hong Kong Images, Creative Arts Workshop Open House to basic calligraphy.
Francene Duncan is no stranger to the festival. Duncan has attended Lunarfest for years. For the first time, Duncan and her team decided to handcraft their own dragon for Lunarfest.
"This year we thought it would be fun to participate with an actual dragon to go inside the parade," said Duncan. "I think it's huge because a lot of people don't even really know about the Lunar New Year in general."
Duncan said the festival is a perfect mix of education, exposure to culture, and a sense of community.
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"It shows a lot of diversity and inclusion in the community," said Duncan. "This festival is able to bring people together to learn about the day for everybody."
2020 is the Year of the Rat on the Chinese calendar.
