display their culture and heritage . We have a pretty diverse population in our region , and I feel Northwest Winterfest is a great opportunity to share that with people .”
Sam , himself , is from China originally , and he loves American Christmas traditions . He even admits to singing Christmas carols in the summertime . It is his love of the holidays and his heritage that drives him to make Northwest Winterfest such a collaborative event .
This year , Northwest Winterfest will be held at Mirabeau Park Meadows , and the lanterns displayed from November 26th through January 2nd . After that , they will be moved to the Tri- Cities Fairgrounds and displayed from February 10th to March 20th .
Due to the pandemic , there won ’ t be a Christmas Market , but there will still be plenty to see and do . The lanterns are already on their way , family activities are in the works , and live performances are planned for the weekends . Sam ’ s long-term goal for Northwest Winterfest is simple . He ’ d like to see it grow to be a destination event like Bloomsday or HoopFest .
“ We are a local non-profit group . We want to draw people here to Spokane , and hopefully not just from the Inland Northwest but from throughout the Pacific Northwest and Canada . We want them to come to ski , shop , stay in local hotels , and enjoy our festival . We want them to come so that everyone can benefit from our event .”
It ’ s an excellent goal but Sam has one more reason he ’ d like to see Northwest Winterfest expand , and as this story began , it also ends with a child .
“ I want my daughter and other kids to experience this beautiful blending of Asian culture and Western holidays together , in the most livable , most welcoming place in the U . S . – Spokane , Washington .”
Scan the QR Code to visit northwest winter fest ’ s website
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