Oroville's Hmong New Year Festival kicks off the Northern California season

Music and dance and the smell of Hmong barbecue are filling Oroville's Nelson Sports Complex this weekend for the city's yearly Hmong New Year Festival. Gates are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Organizers describe it as the first big celebration of the New Year season in Northern California.

A tradition since 1985

The city has hosted the festival every year since 1985 and it traditionally celebrates the close of the harvest. What began as a modest community gathering became a major fall tradition in the region. Tickets are $5 with free entry for children 5 and under and for adults 65 and over.

Contests and food

Dance and singing contests with cash prizes are on the schedule. Organizers also revived older traditions including the Pov Pob ball-toss game once used for courtship and the Kwv Txhiaj style of folk singing. Food booths offer Hmong barbecue and pork sausage and steamed fish and pho and khaub poob.

In recent years the event has put more emphasis on food and entertainment and shopping and less on the traditional dress and singing that once defined it. It remains a chance for Hmong families to celebrate their heritage and to welcome the wider community.