In Chinese culture, 2023 is the year of the rabbit, which symbolises longevity, peace, and prosperity – and don’t we all want more of that in our life next year? To celebrate, Willoughby City Council in Sydney is throwing a big Year of the Rabbit Festival, featuring all the best things in life: food, culture, music and art, to share with friends and family.
Highlights include the Rabbit Sculpture Trail (Jan 18-Feb 12), featuring eight giant inflatable rabbits created by artist Amanda Parer in a whimsical nod to the animal of the moment. There’s Lunar New Year Comedy (Sat, Jan 28 ), showcasing an ace line-up of some of the top Australian comedic acts including Nina Oyama, Harry Jun, Jenny Tian, AJ Lamarque, Ting Lim, Chris Nguyen, Kevin Jin and MC Diana Nguyen, held at the Concourse Concert Hall. Inner Edge Drifting (Jan 18 Jan-Feb 12) is a moving exhibition featuring more than 10 artists expressing their experiences of having Asian heritage while living in a Western society. The East Meets West outdoor concert (Sun, Jan 29) by the incredible Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, which used to be a ticketed event, will now be free for thousands to enjoy. The colourful Twilight Lantern Parade (Sun, Feb 5) will see a handful of streets close and come alive with lanterns. And then there’s Milan Ring featuring Yeo and Rainbow Chan (Fri, Feb 10), a concert featuring three of our leading Australian R&B, electronic and hip hop artists.
During the four-week festival, folks can also visit the Golden Market (on Thursdays and Fridays, as well as Saturday, January 21) to sample delicious plates from more than 35 stallholders offering Chinese, Vietnamese, Hong Kong, Singaporean, Korean and Filipino cuisine.
Chatswood Year of The Rabbit Festival runs from Wednesday, January 18, to Thursday, February 12, 2023.
