Photo: Courtesy of betterchinatown.com
Chinese New Year officially kicks off tomorrow, and you will not want to miss the festivities going on around downtown this year!
The Firecracker and Cultural festival will be going on tomorrow, February 19 at Sara D. Roosevelt park, where the Better Chinatown society will light over 500,000 fireworks to welcome the Year of the Goat and to ward off evil spirits. In addition to enjoying the firecracker display, visitors can also enjoy traditional lion dances and decoration giveaways. Food and craft vendors will also be in attendance, where visitors can enjoy authentic Chinese food and bring home a few keepsake items from the New Year celebration. According to legend, it is said that the more dumplings one eats during the celebration, the more money they will make that year.
However, the festivities don’t stop there. In fact, they will continue into the weekend with the 16th annual Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade & Festival. The parade will begin at 1pm on Sunday, February 22 at Canal and Mott Street, and will end at Sara D. Roosevelt park. For the map of the parade route, check it out here. Attendees can also enjoy traditional lion and dragon dances, over the top costumes and food vendors serving New Year specialities.
For more information, be sure to check out Better Chinatown USA, the official organizer of the New Year Lunar Parade Festival.
– by Jackie Hart
