Sunderland gets ready to welcome the year of the snake

Favourite Asian food, traditional and contemporary entertainment and dances by a lion, a dragon and even a unicorn are on their way to Sunderland.

The city is preparing to celebrate the Lunar New Year on February 9, with a packed programme of entertainment on offer at Sunniside Gardens.

From 11am to 3pm visitors can enjoy the culture of countries ranging from China to Malaysia, from Myanmar to Indonesia as well Vietnam and Singapore.

Both classical and modern dance will be showcased, along with Asian pop music and a Chinese rap artist.

The day will also include a fashion show and authentic dragon and lion dances, with a unicorn also ready to make an appearance.

Visitors will be able to enjoy the foods from a range of vendors including Wagyu burgers, Japanese street food experts, Arigato and XL Sushi, which offers hot sushi and Katsu curry dishes.

Anyone attending will get the opportunity to try out a range of traditional games on trays which will be carried around by roving players.

A number of workshops are also being planned, including for children where they can make Chinese figures and Year of the Snake bookmarks.

There will be the opportunity to try the noble art of origami - paper folding - as well as calligraphy, with visitors also able to buy Asian-inspired goods such as dragon puppets, masks and Chinese snacks.

The celebration has been organised by Sunderland BID and Chief Executive, Sharon Appleby, believes it will be a fantastic day.

"We are bringing together so many different cultures, so this will be an amazing opportunity to celebrate this important day with people from across Asia," she said.

"We've successfully marked Lunar New Year in Sunderland in the past but this year we're taking it to a whole new level which really is going to be a day not to be missed."

Events in the Sunniside area are supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) following a successful application made by Sunderland BID, which led to an award of £202,253.

The Lunar New Year celebrations are part of the Sunniside Activation programme, designed to build pride in place and a sense of community. For more information visit www.sunderlandbid.co.uk