Celebrate The Year Of The (Fire) Monkey At Sunset Park’s Lunar New Year Parade

Update [February 13, 11pm]: The parade has been postponed until Sunday, February 21 because of extreme weather headed our way.

Monkeys are smart, curious, innovative, and loveable, with an unruly temper and snotty attitude. This year the moon is in their house.

Join the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration next Sunday, February 14 along Eighth Avenue, the borderline between Sunset and Bo

rough Parks in Brooklyn’s Chinatown.

A cohort of elected officials and local notables will host the celebration. In recent years, Senator Charles Schumer, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverto, along with officials from the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association, the day’s sponsors, have been among them.

The speeches and performance will start on Sunday around 11am in front of the grandstand at 50th Street. The parade then kicks off around 1pm, and will march down the 8th Avenue hill.

Get there early to land a choice spot by the grandstand. The times are approximate and the street will be packed. Beautiful children will sing, the Lion Dancers will don their masks and begin their performance by bowing to those on the grandstand. Notable guests will be introduced.

An explosion of tons of fireworks set off by the Fire Department caps the morning’s activities. You wouldn’t want to miss that. It’s an ear-splitting, gun-powdered smelling event which starts the New Year off just right. And in Chinese tradition, drives the evil spirits away.

Finally the parade begins. You can march or eat. But don’t forget that it’s also Valentine’s Day. The restaurants are usually packed, and the Pacificana was just named among the top dim sum restaurants in New York. You should call for a reservation.