10 FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2018 BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP
Thousands attend Sunset's annual
Chinese New Year Celebration Parade
BY JAIME DEJESUS
JDEJESUS@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
A Chinese New Year tradition
continues in Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Chinese
American Association (BCAA)
once again hosted its annual Chinese
New Year Celebration Parade in Sunset
Park on Sunday, February 18.
Celebrating the Year of the Dog,
the celebration — which tens of
thousands attended — featured
performances by youngsters, traditional
festivities,
appearances by
community leaders
and elected officials,
and more.
The festivities
included welcoming
remarks from
officials such as
Senator Chuck
Schumer, Borough
President Eric Adams and
Assemblymember Peter Abbate.
The celebration officially began
at 11 a.m. at Eighth Avenue and 50th
Street, featuring performances by local
children and adults and cultural
activities.
At 1 p.m., the head lion and VIP
guests, followed by marching teams,
led the parade along the Eighth Avenue
commercial strip. At 2:30 p.m.,
the parade ended at 61st Street. The
lions danced in front of each store to
bring good luck and fortune to the
community.
The traditional firecracker display,
a ritual that is meant to cleanse
homes and businesses to usher in a
year of good luck, also took place.
Other activities included a kung-fu
demonstration.
Since 1988, the annual Chinese
New Year Celebration Parade "has
been bringing the richness of the
Scenes from the Lunar New Year Parade and celebration in Sunset Park.
Chinese culture to the borough of
Brooklyn as well as promoting unity
among neighborhoods,” said the
BCAA in a release.
Attendees enjoyed sharing the fun
with their loved ones.
“My daughter loved it,” said Seyda
Funes. “We bought so many poppers,
my daughter was handing
them out to kids and wishing
them a happy new year.
One lady hugged me and
thanked me. My daughter
said, ‘It was a great
experience. We got there
early and were able to walk
through the festival. As
we got closer to the stage,
the music got louder and
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by Arthur de Gaeta
people seemed happy. Being from a
different culture, it was a great way
to experience a new culture and its
festivities.’”
“No one celebrates Lunar New Year
like we do in Sunset Park,” Borough
President Eric Adams said. “The
Brooklyn Chinese-American Association’s
celebration
was 'on fire!' We
derive strength
from the rich
d i v e r s i t y
of our borough,
and
this month’s
collection of
Lunar New Year
programming is
a testament to how important
it is to keep heritage
alive as we build
One Brooklyn that is a
rich tapestry of culture
and community.”