Westminster officials, elected leaders and community organizations gathered on Bolsa Avenue in Little Saigon for the city’s Tet Parade, a Lunar New Year celebration that organizers said honors the 50th anniversary of Vietnamese settlement in the area.

City Manager Christine Cordon opened remarks, introducing the program and saying, “My name is Christine Cordon. I’m the city manager of the city of Westminster.” Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen called the anniversary “a momentous occasion,” and the parade program included a lion dance, honor guard presentation of colors, the U.S. and Republic of Vietnam anthems and a lineup of cultural performances.

The event combined cultural programming with civic recognition of local services and institutions. Westminster School District representatives used the parade stop to highlight expanding bilingual education: Jeremy Califf, president of the Westminster School District board, said the district’s dual-language programs will expand “to Anderson Elementary for Vietnamese and Findlay Elementary for Spanish.” The district also marched with students and staff and served as a platinum sponsor for the parade.

Organizers said the parade this year included about 80 entries, featuring school bands and dance teams, veterans’ organizations, nonprofit groups and corporate sponsors. Elected officials who appeared or were acknowledged included U.S. Rep. Derek Tran, U.S. Rep. Lou Correa, Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen Wynn, state legislators and multiple city officials. Sponsors named in announcements included the Westminster School District, Midway City Sanitary District and Orange County Water District.

The program also included community-oriented services and nonprofit booths: event hosts called attention to agencies such as Be Well OC’s mobile mental-health response, OC Head Start, the Regional Center of Orange County, and local health-plan sponsors. The city presented certificates of recognition at the grandstand to parade emcees and community leaders for their support of the event.

A public renewal-of-vows ceremony for two parade emcees took place onstage during the program. Organizers said the ceremony was a community moment embedded in the larger celebration of culture and continuity.

Organizers and speakers repeatedly framed the parade as both a cultural observance and a community-building event that spotlights Westminster’s Little Saigon neighborhood, local schools and civic partners. Performances, floats and marching units continued past the grandstand, and organizers said additional post-parade activities would remain in the area later in the day.

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