The 26th annual Lunar New Year Parade returns to Manhattan’s Chinatown this Sunday.
About 500,000 people are expected to show up and commemorate the end of the 15 days honoring the first new moon on the lunar calendar, according to Steven Tin, the parade’s organizer.
This year’s theme is all about celebrating the “Year of the Dragon” with dance performances, music and singing.
“We’re gonna have a lot of colorful dragons coming out,” said Tin. “I think dragons bring a certain excitement into any parade.”
Tin said he’s most excited about seeing more young people volunteering and performing in the parade, as well as seeing multiple generations attending together.
“Our original purpose is to bring the traditional, exciting Asian culture to the mainstream and to our second- and third-generation Asian Americans,” he said. “I think it’s getting there, but we still need some push.”
Veronica Woo owns Dim Sum Go Go, a restaurant in Chinatown. She and her son Jackson Lau, the restaurant’s manager, said they love when the parade passes their establishment because it brings in a lot of business.
“It always brings a happy spirit,” Woo said.
The family also said the parade brings good luck to the restaurant.
“In Chinese culture, it brings prosperity and fortune,” Lau added. “Chinese New Year to the Chinese people is the biggest holiday for us, so we welcome everyone to celebrate together and it brings luck for the whole year.”
The parade is free to attend and open to the public. Here’s what you need to know to attend.
When is the parade?
The parade starts at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25. Tin advises anyone who wants the best possible view of the procession to arrive around noon or earlier.
Where is it?
The parade will start at Mott and Hester streets and proceed down Mott to Canal Street. From there, the procession will make its way to Chatham Square, then toward the Manhattan Bridge via East Broadway. From there, the marchers will head toward Grand Street via Forsyth Street. The parade will end near Sara D. Roosevelt Park. To see a map of the route visit here.
How long is the parade?
Tin said this year’s parade will last about two hours.
How should people dress?
Tin advises people to dress for the weather and, if they can, wear traditional Chinese clothing. If you don’t own any, then Tin suggests you come dressed in red.
What will the weather be like?
It looks like the sun will be out just in time for the parade. The temperature will be around 40 degrees and no snow or rain is expected. To stay up to date on weather changes look here.
What are some highlights?
Tin said dragons will feature heavily in this year’s parade floats. He said the best dragon display is a large black and gold one that was custom made in China just for the parade. He also expects people will go all out with their own dragon costumes.
“More people are going to make their costumes more exciting and colorful,” Tin said.
Another highlight, he said, will be young people performing traditional lion and dragon dancing, which involves costumed participants mimicking the movements of both creatures.
Tin added that people from all cultures will be cheering and celebrating on the sidelines this year.
“This parade is not just Lower East Side Chinatown anymore,” he said. “I would say the last 13 years, we attract tourists and people from all over the East Coast. It’s not a local event anymore for a long time.”
Will roads be closed for the parade?
Yes! the NYPD’s list of road closures (see below) and the MTA’s Planned Service Changes before you step out of the house on Sunday.
Mott Street between Canal Street and Chatham Square
- East Broadway between Chatham Square and Forsyth Street
- Eldridge Street between East Broadway and Hester Street
- Hester Street between Eldridge Street and Forsyth Street
- Forsyth Street between Hester Street and Grand Street
- Chatham Square between Mott Street and East Broadway
Ryan Kailath contributed additional reporting.
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