CHINESE New Year celebrations are coming to Southend High Street this weekend.

From a dragon dance and paper folding, to martial arts and Oriental cuisine, the day will offer something for everyone.

Ashley Oglina-Beecham, manager of Southend BID, explained why it was the perfect way to celebrate Southend being awarded city status.

He said: “Finding a way to celebrate our town becoming a city was of the utmost importance to the entire Southend BID committee.

Thankfully, as Chinese New Year celebrates good fortune, happiness, tradition, and ultimately reminds us all of what’s most important, this felt like the perfect way to do so.

“Our Chinese New Year event will host an array of exciting and authentic Chinese offerings: from mouth-watering cuisine to unforgettable entertainment, we really will be hosting something for everyone.

“We are honoured to be helping our community better understand and celebrate Chinese New Year, an event that’s immersed in beautiful traditions and history.

“As we step into 2022, we feel this symbolises what our community values most and all that we can achieve.”

The event will run from 9am to 5pm, with food available throughout the day.

From 11am through to 2.30pm there will be paper folding and calligraphy workshops.

Then a number of street performances will take place from 11.30am to 2.15pm including a lion ceremony and a dragon dance.

At 2.15pm there is a martial arts demonstration, followed by a parade muster to The Forum at 3.15pm, and a parade forum to Royal Square at 3.30pm.

Along with all these performances, a number of local schools, including King Edmunds, Darlinghurt, and Barling Magna, will be exhibiting their Chinese artwork at the event.

And Thorpe Hall School will hold a singing performance from 3pm.

To find out more about Southend BID’s Chinese New Year celebration, visit: www.bit.ly/3qNOHyH

Send your photos and videos of the fun to sophie.england@newsquest.co.uk