Merced’s annual Hmong New Year celebration this weekend. Here’s what to expect
Merced will be home to a two-day cultural festival this weekend to celebrate the Hmong New Year.
The celebration will be held Saturday and Sunday at the Merced County Fairgrounds, 900 Martin Luther King Jr Way.
There will be cultural shows, music, dancing, games, sports competitions and food — including Hmong sausage, sticky rice, papaya salad and other dishes,
The annual event is held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Admission is $5 for adults. Kids 9 and under and seniors over 65 are free.
According to its website, the annual event “showcases the rich cultural heritage of the Hmong community.”
The Hmong people are originally from the mountains of Laos, China, Vietnam and Thailand. They were recruited by the CIA to fight during the Vietnam War, and many emigrated as war refugees after the United States left the region and the communists took over Laos in the 1970s.
According to marketing researcher Neilsberg, Merced County has the fourth-largest Hmong population, in California, at 6,762.
The event is organized by Merced Lao Family Community Inc., a nonprofit organization founded in 1981.
For more on the events, call 209-384-7384 or email mlfc@laofamilymerced.org.
