Lunar New Year

Posted on January 09, 2025 by in News, Press Release

Sunday February 9th

11am to 3pm

Wokingham Market Place

We will be recognising the Lunar New Year by hosting performers, artists, and helpers both locally and from across the south of England to help us celebrate in style.

The lion dance, one of the most important traditions at Chinese New Year, will be performed in the heart of the town alongside music, arts and crafts. In Chinese culture, the lion symbolizes power, wisdom, and superiority. Their presence reported to bring good fortune and chase away evil spirits.

On the stage
Timings (subject to change) for the day are:

  • 11am: Local Canto pop band 852X
  • 12 noon and 2pm: We’ll be joined by the Pak-Mei UK Lion Dance Troupe who will be performing the renowned and spectacular Lion Dance
  • 12:45pm: Singing and Cantonese workshop with HKR singers
  • 1:15pm: Hong Kong Reading Singers and Hong Kong Reading Junior Singers.

All performances are between 20 and 30 minutes in duration

Throughout the day

  • Wokingham Baptist Church Hongkongers will be offering traditional Chinese calligraphy, crafts and activities relating to the New Year
  • ‘morearts.’ make and take activities including paper chain snakes and spinning snake windcatchers.
  • Circus Scene will be teaching plate spinning and cloth twirling, and a group art project in the Town Hall (numbers are limited inside due to fire regulations)
  • Craft stalls – Joman Crochet (https://www.instagram.com/joman_crochet)

Street food including both sweet and savoury offerings will be available to purchase from:

  • Krua Koson – Thai Food
  • Uncle E ltd – Hong Kong style cakes – Pineapple cake, Wife Cake, Cashew biscuits, Dim Sum
  • Family Kitchen – Hong Kong cuisine
  • Jeong Cook – Authentic Korean Food (See more)
  • Hey Flash – Hong Kong Street Food
  • Sen Ichie – Japanese/Chinese fusion – Maki rolls, Donburi
  • Two Ten Bakery – Indonesian/pan Asian homemade food
  • Dad is Cooking – Hong Kong Street Food (see more)

Watch out for more traders being added.

Services

  • Accessible area near the stage
  • First Aid
  • Event Information tent
  • Local Council services information for new residents
  • Nearest Toilets: Local Loo scheme in Market Place businesses, public toilet in Peach Place, Town Hall toilets available.

Getting to the event

Please note Denmark Street is closed to allow the event space to operate.

Wokingham Market Place (RG40 1AS) is approximately a 8 minute walk from Wokingham Railway Station and a 3 minute walk from the Bus stops on Broad Street.

From Reading

Trains to Wokingham commonly leave from platform’s 4, 5 and 6. Please note engineering works may reduce service, or all service may be rail replacement bus.

Bus services: Reading Buses route 4 and 3 (do check Sunday running)

Car Parking

The nearest local car parks are:
Cockpit Path Car Park
Denmark Street Car Park
Rose Street Car Park

Many others are within 10 minutes walking distance.

We are grateful to Wokingham Borough Council for offering free parking for this event as part of funding achieved through the shared prosperity fund. The following car parks will be free for this event:

  • Carnival Pool multi-storey carpark
  • Cockpit Path
  • Denmark Street (access from old Wokingham Library only on the event day)
  • Easthampstead Road (East and West)
  • Rose Street
  • Shute End

Parking will be free of charge from 10pm on the Saturday evening (8 February) prior to the event date at
the car parks listed above.
There will be no requirement to pay or get a free ticket by the RingGo parking app or at the ticket
machines until 6am on the Monday morning (10 February) after the event date.
Both RingGo and the ticket machines will remain fully operational over this period. You will be charged,
if you use either. Refunds will not be available for any payments made during the free parking period.

For full details on the offer please check: https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/news/2025/free-parking-celebrate-lunar-new-year-wokingham-town

Any questions regarding car parking and this offer please contact Wokingham Borough Council.

For more information on car parking please visit: https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/parking-and-transport/parking-and-permits/find-a-car-park/

Many thanks to our partners and supporters:

HKRsingers CIC for 852X and Hong Kong Reading Singers choirs, Pak-Mei UK, ‘morearts.’, Circus Scene, Wokingham Baptist Church, Reading Hongkongers, Tesco Wokingham, Yes Events, Wokingham Borough Council, Beyond First Aid, Volker Highways.