(Clearwisdom.net) On June 12, 2004, the annual New Haven Arts & Ideas International Festival started with the All-City Carnival Parade. Falun Gong practitioners from New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston and Connecticut were invited to perform. Tens of thousands Connecticut residents saw the unique Chinese dragon and lion dances, waist drum show, and traditional fairy dance. Exclaims and applauses accompanied the practitioners everywhere.
The practitioners danced the dragon and the lion tirelessly ran back and forth in the parade. The performances by the celestial maidens and the waist drummers were wonderful.
The children were the most excited to see the dragon and lion up close, and to learn Falun Gong exercises at the end of the parade. The organizers were so impressed by the practitioners' performance that they expressed their thanks many times and invited us to do a bigger performance next year.
Seeing practitioners getting ready for the parade more than 2 hours in advance, the organizer called Falun Gong the "model entry" for the parade. Some local Chinese people in the parade also acclaimed the practitioners' spirit. The New Haven Register newspaper published a photo of the Falun Gong entry.
