42 MARCH 9 - MARCH 15, 2018 BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP
More Lunar New Year BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos
BY JAIME DEJESUS
JDEJESUS@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
Lunar New Year celebrations
were in full gear in Brooklyn
this past weekend.
On Sunday, March 4, it was Bensonhurst’s
turn to celebrate the Year
of the Dog as the Chinese American
Social Services (CASS) Center hosted
its Lunar New Year parade in the
neighborhood.
“Even though March wind storms
came in roaring like a lion, it did
not deter Chinese American Social
Services Center's 2018 Lunar New
Year Parade down 18th Avenue,”
wrote CASS, a
local not-for-profit organization,
on Facebook.
“Our secret? We had two
lions as performed by
Brooklyn's finest Master
Ying's studio. Thank you,
everyone.”
Joining the parade that
went along 18th Avenue
from 65th to 80th Streets
were area residents, local
merchants, members of
the 62nd Precinct, and
DSNY, NYPD and FDNY
personnel.
Attendees enjoyed themselves.
“We had a great time and a blast celebrating
the holiday with our community
and elected official offices,” wrote
an attendee via Facebook.
CASS first opened at 124 Avenue
U in September, 2015 "to assist Kings
County residents by assembling and
disseminating social services information,
especially to those whose first
language is not English,” according to
its Facebook page.
That same day, over at New Utrecht
High School, State Senator Marty
Golden hosted his annual Lunar New
York event at New Utrecht
High School, 1601 80th
Street.
The celebration was
complete with performances
by local kids
and theater groups as
well as the traditional performance
of the lion dance.
The yearly tradition has been
an opportunity for families to enjoy
a day of celebrating Chinese culture
by dressing up, singing, dancing and
digging in to traditional food. This
time was no different.
“When I come here and say ‘Gung
Hay Fat Choy,’ it’s because I mean it
and you deserve it,” Golden told the
big crowd. “Chinatown Brooklyn is
number one. Chinatown Queens is
number two. We’re on fire and we’re
moving up. We are going to continue
to work with our Chinese American
community and tonight we have great
performances here by all the different
schools and agencies. We have
20 different agencies here today. We
have almost 40 different dance troops,
almost 40 different sponsors. This is
really something that has grown over
the years and over 1,000 people will
come and go today thanks to this great
event for the Asian community here
in Brooklyn.”
There was also a lucky raffle to
benefit International Disaster Relief.
“We are acting charitably in our
celebration today,” he said. “I want to
wish each of you a blessed New Year.
It’s all about these children and future
of our communities.”
Also on Sunday, March 4, Sunset
Park held its Annual Lantern Festival
on Eighth Avenue from 53rd to 55th
Street, hosted by the Brooklyn Chinese
American Association.
"The Lantern Festival
was great success today
in Sunset Park,"
tweeted the 72nd
Precinct.
Scenes from the 18th Avenue
Lunar New Year parade.
Performers at Golden's annual Lunar New Year celebration