Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations kick off tomorrow. Here’s a look at some of the festivities planned in the neighborhood to mark the Year of the Rabbit:
- The annual Lunar New Year Firecracker Festival will be held in Sara D. Roosevelt Park tomorrow from 11am-3:30pm. There will be a big stage set up in the park (between Grand and Hester streets), where cultural performances will take place. There will also be a dozen lion, dragon and unicorn dance troupes marching through the neighborhood, including Mott, the Bowery, East Broadway, Bayard, Elizabeth and Pell streets.
- Friday beginning at 530pm, the Hester Street Collaborative is throwing a big party at their headquarters, 113 Hester Street. You’ll be able to view the 4th annual Lunar New Year Lantern Installation in SDR Park. Kids from M.S. 131, the Chinatown YMCA and Asian Americans for Equality created the lanterns.
- At 11:30am on Sunday, it’s the spectacular Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade. There will be elaborate floats, marching bands, lion and dragon dances, musicians, magicians, acrobats and a procession by local organizations. Over 5,000 people are expected to march in the parade, which will start at Mott Street and pass through just about every street in of Chinatown, finally ending at Worth Street. The parade is expected to conclude at 3 pm, at which time an outdoor cultural festival will take place on Bayard Street featuring more performances by musicians, dancers and martial artists.
