Charlotte Chinese Story Time Celebrates Language, Culture, and Community at the 2026 Día Festival

Charlotte, NC — Last Saturday, Charlotte Chinese Story Time was honored to participate in the 2026 Día Festival at ImaginOn, joining families, community partners, and library visitors for a joyful celebration of children, books, languages, and cultures.

Hosted by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Día celebrates the importance of connecting children with books while honoring the diverse languages and cultures represented in our community. This year’s festival brought together families from across Charlotte for a morning filled with storytelling, hands-on activities, cultural exploration, and community connection.

As part of the celebration, Charlotte Chinese Story Time hosted an interactive cultural booth designed for young children and families. Visitors had the opportunity to explore Chinese picture books, try on traditional Chinese clothing, play ring toss games, take photos with panda and lion dance props, and engage with cultural displays introducing China, Chinese characters, foods, and traditions.

Throughout the morning, children and families stopped by the CCST booth with curiosity and excitement. Many children enjoyed trying on traditional outfits and flower headpieces, playing cultural games, browsing Chinese and bilingual picture books, and taking photos with the colorful lion dance props and panda character. These hands-on experiences created meaningful opportunities for children from many different backgrounds to connect with Chinese culture in a playful, welcoming, and memorable way.

For Charlotte Chinese Story Time, participating in Día was especially meaningful because the festival’s mission closely aligns with our own. CCST believes that language and culture come alive when children can see, touch, listen, play, and participate. Through stories, books, music, games, art, and community-based programs, we strive to make Chinese language and culture accessible, joyful, and engaging for families across the Charlotte area.

“We were so happy to see children and families exploring Chinese culture with such joy and curiosity,” said Jenny Zhan, Founder of Charlotte Chinese Story Time. “For us, Día is a beautiful reminder that books, languages, and cultural traditions can bring communities together. These shared experiences help children grow with openness, confidence, and appreciation for the diverse cultures around them.”

Charlotte Chinese Story Time extends heartfelt thanks to Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and ImaginOn for hosting this meaningful community celebration and for inviting CCST to be part of the event. We are also deeply grateful to our volunteers and youth helpers, whose warmth, energy, and support made the CCST booth welcoming, engaging, and full of joy.

CCST looks forward to continuing to share Chinese stories, language, and culture with children and families throughout the community.

About Charlotte Chinese Story Time

Charlotte Chinese Story Time is a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting Chinese language, literacy, and cultural learning for children and families. Through bilingual storytimes, cultural events, arts workshops, performances, and community partnerships, CCST creates welcoming spaces where children can experience the joy of stories, language, and culture together.