News and Events

Weekend of love and New Year celebrations!

This weekend as the Harvey Centre celebrates Valentine’s Day with the ‘Love Squad’ and Chinese New Year with Lion Dancers

· The Love Squad will be on the Malls on Saturday between 9.30am and 5pm.
· The Lion Dancers will leave the Water Gardens at 11.30am and be coming to the Harvey Centre via Broadwalk and Little Walk between 12-1.30pm

This Saturday and Sunday sees the Harvey Centre in full celebration mode as the Centre hosts the ‘Love Squad’ recording romantic public messages between loved ones on Saturday. Then on Sunday Broadwalk, Little Walk and the Centre participate in the Chinese New Year celebrations throughout the town, hosting the Lion Dancers who bring luck for the New Year.

The ‘Love Squad’ will be on the Mall from 9.30am on Saturday encouraging members of the public, young and old alike to record their romantic messages for their Valentines. The team will be based in the Centre near Blue Inc but will be roaming around seeking would-be romantics willing to share their words of love on camera.

The team will be equipped with the latest mobile phones from the 3Store and the top ten recorded messages chosen by the Love Squad will be uploaded to the Centre’s website for the public to vote on their favourite. The most popular romantic message will win the couple a goodie bag of gifts from the Centre and selected stores.

Then on Sunday, visitors to the Centre will be entertained by the Lion Dancers’ parade through the town and through the Harvey Centre as they bring in the start of the Chinese New Year. This year’s Chinese New Year (also known as the Lunar New Year) falls on Thursday 3rd February and brings in the Year of the Rabbit.

Lion-DanceAs part of traditional celebrations a local troupe of Lion Dancers will be performing throughout Harlow and the entire Harvey Centre, starting from the Water Margin at 11.30am. The origins of Lion Dance dates back many generations in Chinese folk law. The objective of the Lion Dance is to drive away evil spirits and demons resulting in the bringing of good luck and good fortune. The practise of Lion Dance as it is today is not only confined to the Far East but is very popular all over the world.

Bryan Young, Centre Manager is looking forward to the events this weekend, “We are excited that there will be so much love and celebration in the Centre this weekend and look forward to hearing the messages recorded by the town’s romantics. Also, there is no doubt we would all welcome good luck and good fortune this year after the events of the past few years and I am pleased to welcome the Lion Dancers to Broadwalk, Little Walk and the Centre.”