20th anniversary of ChinaFest returns to VMFA for Chinese Lunar New Year

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Immerse yourself in the culture and traditions of the Chinese Lunar New Year this weekend with the return of ChinaFest: Year of the Wood Snake at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond.

The museum-wide event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the museum located at 200 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd.

Guests will be able to enjoy a variety of performances from acts like Min Xiao-Fen, Yu Dance Arts, the Choy Wun Lion Dance Troupe and more.

Art activities will also be available throughout the museum.

Great 8 Events: ChinaFest at VMFA and other weekend fun

Celeste Fetta, the John P. Brock Director of Education and Assistant Deputy Director for Art and Education, told 8News that ChinaFest began 20 years ago, and has grown to host thousands of people each year.

"It was founded by Rose Chen -- who we're honoring this year as part of the festival -- as a way to celebrate the culture of China and demonstrate that every culture has shared elements to it," she explained. "So, just to increase that cross-cultural understanding, and that's something that we celebrate every day here at the museum and with our collection as well."

Saturday's celebration is free to attend.

A full schedule of performances and activities can be found on the VMFA website.