Next Wednesday (January 29) will mark the start of the Lunar New Year of the Snake in New York City, with the biggest celebration being the annual Lunar New Year Parade in Flushing, the largest Chinese community in New York. The parade is scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. on February 1 (Saturday, the fourth day of the new year), drawing attention from the public. On Friday, January 24, the parade organizing committee held a press conference in Flushing, announcing that all preparations for the parade are ready and welcoming people to come and enjoy the peaceful and joyful celebration of the Lunar New Year.
The committee introduced that over 60 groups, 30 floats, and vehicles representing various organizations will be participating in the parade. A grandstand will be set up in front of the Flushing Library, where elected officials from federal, state, and city levels, as well as community representatives, will join the parade to wish the Asian community a happy new year. The beloved mascot of the New York Mets baseball team, Mr. Met, and Mrs. Met will also be dressed in traditional Chinese attire to greet the crowd and distribute gift cards.
The chairman of the parade organizing committee, Peter Du, and the parade commander, Wang Neng, emphasized that the Flushing Lunar New Year Parade originated in 1996 and has grown in size every year. The parade showcases Asian cultural traditions, values, and their contributions to the United States. Every year, crowds of people of all ages come from all directions to witness the festive parade in Flushing. The parade is set to start promptly at 11 a.m. and only the American flag will be displayed during the procession.
Police Liaison Officer Huang Lingqin of the 109th Precinct of the New York City Police Department introduced that street closures will begin at 8 a.m. at the intersection of Northern Boulevard and Union Street for float loading. The parade will start at the precinct entrance of the 109th Precinct and proceed along Union Street, then turn right onto Sanford Avenue, followed by a right turn onto Main Street, continuing until 39th Avenue where it concludes. Approximately 200 police officers will be deployed by the NYPD to ensure the safety of intersections and the parade procession, with police cars serving as barriers. The NYPD band, color guard, Asian Jade Society, Highway Association, and the Director of Community Affairs of the NYPD will also participate in the parade to greet the public.
Elected officials and community representatives attending the press conference expressed their wishes for the successful outcome of the parade, including State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Assemblyman Ron Kim, Council Member Linda Lee, and Shawn Ma, Director of Asian Affairs in the Office of the Governor. They thanked the Flushing Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the organizing committee for their efforts in hosting the parade. They highlighted that Queens is one of the most diverse districts in America, where immigrants have made significant contributions to the U.S. The parade plays a vital role in promoting economic prosperity and enhancing the influence of Flushing and the Asian community.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine will be attending the Lunar New Year parade in Flushing, stating, “Chinatown’s Lunar New Year parade is great, but people have been telling me for years, Mark, you should go to Flushing, where it’s bigger and more exciting!”
Epoch Times and New Tang Dynasty TV will also participate in the parade as in previous years. The handsome and beautiful hosts from New Tang Dynasty TV will greet people of various ethnicities in languages such as English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, Spanish, and more.
After the parade, there will be cultural performances at Tangram Plaza on 39th Avenue in Flushing, with 14 booths showcasing Chinese cultural customs.
Parade time: Saturday, February 1 at 11 a.m.; Parade viewing location: Flushing Main Street, Union Street, Sanford Avenue, etc. ◇