SAN DIEGO — As with many recent community and cultural events, the Vietnamese American Youth Alliance (VAYA) announced the cancellation of the in-person 16th annual San Diego Tết Festival. The event, which typically attracts thousands of visitors to Mira Mesa, was scheduled for Feb. 12-14, 2021.
Instead, VAYA will host the event virtually, tentatively scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. The event will be live-streamed on sdtet.com as well as on our social media pages. We had hoped to be able to have an in-person Tết Festival, as the Tết is often the time where families gathered to reconnect and bring in the new year,” said Dennis Duong, VAYA’s president. “But with the surge in COVID-19, we knew that it was unlikely any live events would be permitted in the foreseeable future. Still, it’s important to recognize the new year and give the community a safe option to celebrate from home.
“VAYA plans on hosting the 17th annual San Diego Tết Festival on Jan. 28-30, 2022, with everything the community expects from the cultural event, including lion dances, the Miss Vietnam Pageant and replicas of historical monuments.
“There were a few surprises that we would have unveiled at an in-person celebration, but it will wait for 2022,” Duong said. “San Diegans can still expect a memorable celebration online for 2021 as we welcome the Year of the Ox.”
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