NEW LANTERN FESTIVAL TO LIGHT UP CAMPSIE

A sea of colourful lanterns will light up Campsie, as the community gathers to celebrate the end of the Lunar New Year season.

City of Canterbury Bankstown’s brand-new Campsie Lantern Festival on Saturday 24 February will feature a catwalk of traditional costume and lanterns, lion dancers and a firecracker spectacle.

There will also be a sensational program of onstage entertainment, including Korean fan dancers, Vietnamese opera singers, Taiko drummers and Chinese pole acts.

Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Bilal El-Hayek said the Campsie Lantern Festival is a first for Council and a special way to conclude the City’s Lunar New Year celebrations.

“It will be a spectacular show and I’m looking forward to the colourful display and entertainment,” Mayor El-Hayek said.

“I encourage everyone to join us in celebrating both the Year of the Dragon and our wonderful Asian community.”

Visitors who come along can pose for a photo in front of a specially designed lantern wall sponsored by SBS.

There’ll also be an opportunity to meet the lantern lady who will be all lit up and get a lucky red envelope from the God and Goddess of Fortune.

The little ones can get involved in a variety of free activities including face painting, hula hooping and lantern making workshops.

And there’ll be plenty of mouth-watering food to try including Japanese pizza, dumplings and noodles.

Campsie’s Anzac Mall will be lit up with lanterns from Monday 19 February, culminating with the festival extravaganza between 5-9pm on Saturday 24 February.

For those who can’t make it on the evening, there will be light music performed by Sydney-based musician, Sandra Pham, from 5-9.30pm on Friday 23 February.

For more information, visit cb.city/CampsieLanternFestival

This event is proudly sponsored by SBS, Dan Viet News and lanterns supported by Opal ANZ.