The Marysville Chinese Community has selected Isabella Wong to be this year’s 2025 Bok Kai hostess. Courtesy of the Marysville Chinese Community

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - Bok Kai, California's oldest continuously-held parade, is quickly approaching and the Marysville Chinese Community is ready.

Bok Kai is celebrated each year on the second day of the second month of the Chinese lunar calendar. This year’s festivities will begin on Saturday, March 1 with the Bok Kai parade at 11 a.m. and will continue into Sunday, March 2, with “Bomb Day” concluding at 4 p.m.

Events throughout the weekend include a car show, rib cook off, street vendors and fireworks.

“Please remember there will be fireworks, firecrackers and all sorts of loud noises happening that weekend,” said Jon Lim, president of the Marysville Chinese Community. “Bring ear protection. If you have pets that are sensitive to (loud noise), be mindful of that. People that are sensitive to noises (should) be mindful of that too.”

The tradition of Bok Kai goes back 145 years and includes the nomination of a Bok Kai hostess. Lim likened the process to choosing a Miss Yuba-Sutter or similar contestant to represent the community at important promotional events.

“The Bok Kai hostess at one time used to go to other China towns and represent the Marysville Chinese Community,” said Lim. “For lack of a better term, she would be the queen of Bok Kai. In the 1950s, they started having dances and it would be a real competition and at the dance, they would crown Miss Bok Kai and they would have a dinner in her honor.”

This year's 2025 Bok Kai hostess is 16-year-old Isabella Wong of Marysville. Wong attends school at the Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts (MCAA) where she actively participates in technical theater and art classes.

"Being chosen as the Bok Kai Festival hostess is an incredible honor," said Wong. “I have been to the parade but I was never able to stay for the final dragon dance so it will be cool to see it this year.”

In fulfilling her hostess duties, Wong will be a featured speaker at local community meetings and events. She will also be honored at the Bok Kai Hostess Reception and be featured in the Bok Kai Parade.

“Part of the reason we like to do this too is so that encourages young people to learn more about Bok Kai and our culture,” said Lim.

Wong has lived in Marysville for the past four years and said she did not have much knowledge of Bok Kai but was eager to learn. She was encouraged to apply for the hostess position by Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts Principal Eric Preston.

“He just came up to me one day during lunch and was like, ‘You should apply for this’ and he wouldn’t leave me alone until I did,” laughed Wong. 

Beyond her artistic inclinations, Wong has demonstrated a commitment to community service as vice-president of her school’s Interact Club and through volunteer work with both Say Love and Blue Zones in Yuba-Sutter. In the future, Wong hopes to study astro-physics but in the meantime enjoys spending time with her albino milk snake.

For more information on Bok Kai and its associated festivities, look for the Marysville Chinese Community on Facebook or visit bokkaitemple.com.