What's at stake?
Around 50 people gathered Saturday as a roar of drums and clashing cymbals announced the arrival of lion dancers during a Chinese New Year celebration hosted by the Chinatown Fresno Foundation.
The lion paused at Stephanie Duran’s doorway, its oversized head tilting as if to peer inside Casita de Todo Abuelita’s Pantry. It was Duran’s first time experiencing the lion dancers. She and her cousin, Natalie Vargas, opened the store just six months prior.
Then, with a sudden dip and shake, the lion began his dance.
Inside the tight aisles, the bright red-and-gold body swayed past hanging clothes and stacked snacks, filling the small shop with movement and sound.
The crash of cymbals and the steady boom of drums spilled into the store as the lion lurched forward, blinking and snapping its jaw. Customers outside pressed themselves to photograph, laughing nervously as the creature leaned in close. A few children reached out, patting the lion’s head as it bobbed up and down.
Duran watched as the lion approached a head of lettuce hanging near the entrance.
At every stop, the lion “eats” the lettuce, a symbol of wealth and prosperity, before scattering the leaves back out to spread abundance within the space.
As part of a long-standing Chinese New Year tradition in Fresno’s Chinatown, the troupe visits 12 local businesses, blessing each one in turn.
In exchange, business owners offer red envelopes filled with monetary donations. The contributions help sustain the performers and musicians who carry on the tradition and provide scholarships for Chinese American students.
“It was marvelous and an honor to experience it for the first time and to learn about the culture,” Duran said. “Now I can tell the story to my grandkids. Being involved in another culture besides our own — it was a great experience.”
Duran said the shop was created as an ode to the afternoons she and her cousin spent at their grandmothers’ homes, places where you could always find little odds and ends tucked away in a drawer or cabinet. That spirit now fills their store, its shelves stocked with snacks, toiletries, handmade bags and small trinkets.
They also offer hot coffee, water, and keep prices low so unhoused neighbors can come in for a cup of oatmeal for a dollar.
“We want this store to help the community,” Duran said.
Opening in Chinatown felt intentional, she added, like the store was a necessity in the neighborhood.
This Chinese New Year marks the Year of the Horse, according to the Chinese lunar calendar. Celebrated by millions around the world, it is a time for cultural traditions, family reunions, and hopes for good fortune in the coming year. This year the celebration officially fell on Feb. 17, kicking off the 16-day Spring Festival.
The lion dancers in Fresno celebration took place on Feb. 28, when the Chinatown Fresno Foundation managed to schedule the lion dancers. Jan Minami, director of the foundation, said they always try to schedule the celebration as close as possible to the official start date, but this year the lion dancers were fully booked, and the chosen date worked best for local businesses.
The lions made stops at multiple businesses, including Esperanza’s Cocina, La Elegante, Ho Ho Kafe, and La Nueva Reyna, performing traditional blessings for prosperity and good fortune.
Gisselle Medina | Fresnoland
The lion dancers always begin at Central Fish Company. Morgan Doizaki, owner of the shop, said the tradition helps build connections across communities, especially for young people.
“If they can experience good memories in Chinatown then our future is bright,” Doizaki said. “There’s a gap of people that think there’s a stigma to it. This is not just Chinatown, there’s Black and Latino businesses. In my opinion, this is downtown because it’s diverse.”
For John Salazar, owner of Ofelia’s Barber Shop, the lion dancers’ visit is more than just a tradition, it’s a connection to Chinatown’s culture. His business has welcomed the dancers every year since the early 2000s.
“It feels like you’re part of the culture in Chinatown,” Salazar said. “If we don’t keep it going, it’ll just die down.”
He noted that the neighborhood has been neglected for years, and many people aren’t aware of the local businesses tucked into the area.
“Through Chinese New Year, people can learn about the tradition and about the businesses here — that’s a blessing in itself,” Salazar said.
Chinatown is continuing efforts to bring the community together with a pop-up showcase called ‘Meet Me in Chinatown.’ The event, set for selected Fridays and Saturdays in April at the historic KOMOTO’s building, will feature local vendors, artists, and businesses, giving residents another chance to explore and support the neighborhood.
