“THE YEAR of the Cat” will have several celebrations in West Orange County this weekend (Shutterstock).

The COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on plans to celebrate the Tet lunar new year holiday in recent years but local celebrations in and for the local Vietnamese-American community are back in the West Orange County area and just a few days away in observance of  “The Year of the Cat.”

Westminster, home of the storied Little Saigon district, will again host the Tet Parade with a theme of “Spring of Hope.” This year the event is being organized by the City of Westminster instead of private organizations as has been done in the past.

The parade will again be along Bolsa Avenue on Sunday, between Magnolia and Brookhurst streets, with floats, bands and local leaders. It is scheduled to step off at 10 a.m.

New to the area will be “The Flower Street on Historic Main Street,” to be held on a one-block stretch of that part of Garden Grove’s original central business district on Saturday and Sunday. Large displays of flowers, entertainment and other attractions are planned.

One block over on Euclid Street north of Garden Grove Boulevard, the SteelCraft outdoor urban eatery will hold its own Tet event with entertainment, food and drink vendors and more from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

The largest Tet event in Orange County this weekend is at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley from 5-10 p.m. on Friday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Next weekend, another Tet Festival will be held on Jan. 27-29 at the OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa.