Hamilton Lunar New Year market showcases culture and community

Red Packet Popups celebrated the richness of Lunar New Year traditions and local culture

Hamilton recently saw its first-ever Lunar New Year market, a public event that invited the entire community to celebrate the holiday. Organized by Red Packet Popups, a Hamilton-based pop-up event company, in partnership with the Hamilton Chinese Association, the event provided a space for cultural engagement and connection.

The event took place from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Jan. 26, 2025, at Hamilton Artists Inc., a central and accessible venue located in the heart of downtown Hamilton. The programming was designed to welcome both those who celebrate the Lunar New Year as well as those interested in the traditions surrounding it.

The market featured a variety of activities, including a lion dance performance, a calligraphy demonstration by Andrew Ha, and a dumpling-making session led by Joyce of Cooking, who hosts cooking classes for all ages all throughout Hamilton. Malaysian-Canadian musician Eunice Keitan also performed in both Cantonese and English, drawing a crowd to experience the fusion of neo-soul and world-folk genres.

Red Packet Popups is a relatively new initiative that was created in the fall of 2024. "My mission is to organize pop up events around Hamilton, focusing on community engagement and cultural celebrations," shared Jaycee Tu, the founder of Red Packet Popups.

Tu explained that the name "Red Packet" is inspired by the Lunar New Year tradition of giving red envelopes, which symbolize luck, prosperity and goodwill. She views each event as a symbolic red packet—a gift of shared joy and connection to the community.

Tu, who moved to Hamilton from Toronto several years ago, noted that she was surprised by the lack of Lunar New Year events in the city. “It’s my family’s biggest holiday of the year, so I was looking for places to celebrate. I was seeing celebrations in Oakville and Burlington but not in Hamilton,” said Tu.

After waiting to see if an event would emerge, Tu decided to take initiative herself. Tu noted how having a child of her own instilled a sense of urgency and motivated her to start a new tradition. "Having a kid made me think about things in different way. I want to be able to raise my child in a city that celebrates her culture," said Tu.

The planning process was not without challenges. As a new organization, Red Packet Popups had to work hard to spread the word. “We had to do some very targeted, face-to-face outreach,” said Tu, explaining that their team compiled a list of Asian-run businesses and artists to invite to the event.

Additionally, the market was organized with no external funding. Despite these hurdles, Tu and her team were able to bring together a strong selection of vendors and performers.

More than 630 people attended the event throughout the day, a turnout that Tu described as both surprising and affirming. "We were expecting a much larger drop in numbers, but people showed up. The community showed up. Maybe we shouldn't have been shocked, but we were floored and so happy," said Tu.

While the event prioritized Asian-run businesses, Tu emphasized the importance of balancing cultural authenticity while making the celebration open to the wider Hamilton community. Ensuring accessibility and inclusivity was also a priority for the organizers. “We made it free because we didn’t want there to be any barriers,” said Tu.

Reflecting on the event’s success, Tu noted that it reinforced a sense of belonging in Hamilton. “After Sunday’s turnout, it’s clear to me that the city does embrace and celebrate our culture,” she said. “It just affirmed that Hamilton is home for me now.”

With such a strong response from the community, Red Packet Popups and the Hamilton Chinese Association plan to continue the Lunar New Year market as an annual tradition, growing it further in the years to come. The Hamilton Chinese Association regularly holds events, including an upcoming Chinese paper cutting workshop. Updates on future events from Red Packet Popups can be found on their social media.