Long Beach went all out during Cambodian New Year’s, or Sursedey Chnam Thmey, on Sunday, April 7 at 9 a.m. Laughter and pride filled the air, as children gleefully played with silly strings and bubble guns, while attendees proudly displayed broad smiles throughout the event.
The Cambodian festival brought people from all backgrounds together to admire vintage cars and dance from sunrise to sunset to celebrate the Cambodian New Year.
Sithea San, the Cambodia Town chair, said the turnout was more than she expected.
“You can see that the people coming in, they enjoyed and had fun,” San said. “We never had five faiths in one place, but today we did […]. They came in and blessed the whole Anaheim Street.”
After Mayor Rex Richardson and multiple council members spoke to the crowd, everyone gathered in a circle with confetti poppers in hand before joyously letting them explode.
The parade began after the vintage cars revved their engines and blasted music, which led multiple attendees to flock to MacArthur Park with Cambodian signs and flags.
“We like to support the community, they treated us very well and if we can help out, we’re happy to,” Don Allison, Surf City Classics Car Club member said. “We did it last year and we really enjoyed it.”
The park was flooded with multiple food booths, but the dancing performances took center stage. Cambodian, Indian, Hawaiian and Mexican dancers entertained audiences with their elegant performances.
“I feel like I’m here to remind people of our culture, how beautiful it is and [how] extensive and the history is so deep,” Danny Sao, who is part of the Long Beach Kickboxing Crew, said.
“I never seen Oum Ry, my teacher, smile this hard in a long time,” Sao said. “I’m thankful that everyone came out to support our gym and supported the Khmai community.”
The vibrant cultural atmosphere and the turnout at the festival fostered a feeling of unity within Cambodia Town
“I’m pleased to see that even though this event is taking place during the Cambodian New Year, I see we have diverse cultures coming together and it shows that we are united,” Nanda Pok, a Cambodian national, said.
As the sun began to set, the Cambodian dancers continued dancing as attendees joined in alongside them, turning the ballroom into a dance floor.
For those interested, additional information on upcoming events can be found on the Cambodia Town website.