Local Hmong Community Gets Ready For New Year Celebration

DULUTH, Minn. — The local Hmong community in Duluth is getting ready for their annual New Year celebration by cooking up mouth-watering food.

The celebration will take place Saturday at the Coppertop church in Duluth. It includes traditional food, music, clothing, and fun camaraderie.

The cooks are making over 500 handmade egg rolls, as well as purple sweet rice, chicken veggie lo mien, and fried chicken for the kids.

“Hmong New Year is a special event for us, a new year. We don’t have other holidays like birthdays, or Easter, or Thanksgiving. But the new year is a holiday, back home and here too,” said Cherpao Vang, the event organizer.

The New Year is a time for families and the community to come together and celebrate. Everybody is welcome to enjoy.

“And many of us have said ‘like wow we didn’t know there was so many people of Asian descent in this area.’ And we come together, and we share our stories, and food, and family and just our advocacy for you know Asian people living in this area. And just trying to get and gain strength in the community that is already living here,” said Laura Judd, a volunteer.

The Hmong New Year celebration is happening Saturday with a program at 11 a.m. and then lunch at noon.