Lunar New Year starts on February 10 and for the next 15 days, there will be many celebrations, festivities and feasts in Brooklyn.
It is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. It is the most important holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam and countries with a significant overseas Chinese population. While the official dates encompassing the holiday vary by culture, those celebrating consider it the time of the year to reunite with immediate and extended family.
Here's how to kick off the Year of the Dragon, a zodiac character that exemplifies nobility, wisdom and prosperity.
Brooklyn Chinatown's Lunar New Year Parade
The annual Chinese New Year Celebration Parade, hosted by the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association, is the main event in Brooklyn's vibrant Chinatown. Like other parades, there will be firecrackers and lion dances to set the stage for a prosperous year ahead. February 11, 11:30 a.m., 50th Street and Eighth Avenue, Free.
Lunar New Year at Brooklyn Children's Museum
The museum will host many events, including storytelling with authors Michele Wong McSween and Yobe Qiu; live music, dance, and Kung Fu workshops with the New York Chinese Cultural Center; calligraphy workshops with artist Nelson Leung, and a rooftop lion dance parade led by the Chinatown Community Young Lions. February 11, starting at 10 a.m., $15.
Bensonhurst Lunar New Year Parade
Those closer to south Brooklyn can attend the parade in Bensonhurst, hosted by the Chinese American Social Services Center. February 11, 10:30 a.m., 66th Street and 18th Ave., Free.
Lunar New Year Celebration at Atlantic Terminal Mall
Watch traditional Chinese dances and performances by the New York Chinese Cultural Center at the Atlantic Terminal Mall. February 13, 3 p.m., 139 Flatbush Ave., Free.
Land To Sea
Williamsburg cafe Land to Sea will host a Lunar New Year small business market in collaboration with the design studio Overice. The market will feature small and local businesses selling prints, ceramics, jewelry and more. February 17 -18, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., 409 Grand Ave., Free.
After the market, there's an after-party with food and drinks from 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. There will be dumplings, wine, and cocktails, plus live jazz and mahjong. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door.
Lantern Festival at Leif Ericson Park
Hosted by the Parent-Child Relationship Association, the event, which will have games, arts and crafts, lantern riddles and a calligraphy station, is expected to attract many local families to ring in the New Year. February 17, 11 a.m., 9th Avenue and 67th Street.
Senator Iwen Chu's Southern Brooklyn New Year Celebration
The borough's first female Asian state senator is organizing a big celebration in her district, featuring dance, song, free giveaways, a dragon mascot distribution and a raffle with over 20 community organizations. March 2, 11:00 a.m. at I.S. 96, 99 Avenue P.
