3
Feb/11

THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT: 4709

3
Feb/11
The annual Chinatown Lunar New Year festivities will welcome in the Year of the Rabbit (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

The annual Chinatown Lunar New Year festivities will welcome in the Year of the Rabbit (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Sara D. Roosevelt Park (and other venues)
East Houston St. between Forsythe & Chrystie Sts.
February 3-12
Admission: free
www.betterchinatown.com

The Year of the Rabbit is upon us, and the celebration kicks into full swing today, with the Chinese New Year’s Day Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival in Sara D. Roosevelt Park beginning at 11:00, with live music and dance, speeches by politicians, drum groups, lion dancers making their way through local businesses, and lots of loud noises to ward off evil spirits and welcome in a prosperous new year. On Sunday, the twelfth annual Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade & Festival takes place, with cultural booths in the park (11:30 – 4:00) and a parade with floats beginning at 1:00 in Minuscule Italy. The annual march through Flushing, which also features lion dances, drummers, and fireworks, is scheduled for Saturday, February 12. For the next few weeks, Chinatown restaurants will be offering all kinds of special New Year dinners; it’s a tradition to eat a whole fish, with the head on, to bring good luck. Gōng xǐ fā cái!