The Lunar New Year celebration is a time to bring joy and cultural richness to the community, said Sheri Zeng, president of the Hopkinton Chinese American Association.

This year’s event, marking the Year of the Dragon, will be held on Saturday, Feb. 10, from 5-9 p.m. at Hopkinton High School.

The festivities begin with a potluck dinner, with participants encouraged to bring a dish of any kind to share.

The performance that follows will feature talent of all ages dancing, singing and storytelling, primarily in Mandarin, although anyone is welcome to attend, Zeng emphasized.

Space allows for 300 people in the audience. Tickets are not available at the door, so anyone interested in attending should visit hcaama.org to reserve tickets.

“The Lunar New Year depends on the moon cycle, and each year falls on a different date between late January and mid-February,” Zeng explained. “A celebration like this takes a lot of preparation, starting in November, and involves so many acts and participants who want to show their talent, exchange well wishes and share joy with others.”

The Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays for people in Asia, China and Taiwan, Zeng noted. This celebration is special because it brings “a lot of positive, cultural diversity and richness” to the town.

It also passes on traditions to the next generation and aims to preserve that culture, Zeng added.

Zeng is especially grateful to the Cultural Council for helping to sponsor the event with the Chinese American Association.

Founded in 2019, the HCAA is a nonprofit, non-political registered 501c (3) charity organization. Its mission is to preserve, uphold and promote Chinese culture, values and interests.

Although the Lunar New Year celebration is its largest event, the organization also partners with the schools for other occasions like International Day, library events and an Elmwood celebration, and members work a booth at Family Day.

Last year, members visited a Mandarin class at Hopkinton Middle School and made dumplings. This year, they would like to establish a scholarship for Mandarin learners to “encourage students to excel and keep going.”

Although the HCAA is not officially affiliated with the schools, Zeng noted the group aims to promote advancement in education as well as cultural exchanges and volunteerism.

She envisions members working with teachers to help high school students in the future.

As the transition from 2023’s Year of the Rabbit occurs and the Year of the Dragon begins, Zeng said the character traits of dragons include “leadership, adventure, bravery, decisiveness and strength.”