SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

The Sacramento Hmong New Year festival began Friday at Cal Expo, celebrating a milestone 50th year with families enjoying Hmong traditions through performances, food, and music.

"This festival is to celebrate the new year. Everybody just comes here to have fun, enjoy the food, enjoy the music," said Elody Vang, a festival attendee. "To see all the other traditions going on, the folk, the songs, the dances, all the fun stuff."

The festival marks the end of the harvest season with gratitude and celebrates the upcoming year.

Vang emphasized the cultural diversity present at the festival, stating, "Around here, we all come from different regions of Thailand or Laos, our culture represents who we are."

The event in Sacramento offers up cultural showcases, pageants, dan

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