A ‘Historic’ Lunar New Year Parade On 18th Avenue [Photos]

Despite the flurries, the show went on.

Over 100 neighbors marched down 18th Avenue for Bensonhurst’s first-ever Lunar New Year Parade Sunday, hosted by the Asian Community United Society (ACUS).

The festivities continued at the Salvation Army building, located at 7309-7321 18th Avenue, where partygoers were joined by Councilman Mark Treyger, Assemblyman Peter Abbate, Assemblyman William Colton, and Councilman Vincent Gentile. Each politician called the event “historic” – a symbol of the rich cultural diversity that has become synonymous with Bensonhurst over the last few years.

“This is something that is very important for the neighborhood. You know, one of the things that makes this such a wonderful neighborhood, is we want to enjoy and celebrate each other’s holidays, each other’s foods, each other’s traditions,” said Colton.

Treyger spoke about his experiences as a high school teacher, lamenting the fact that many of his students were forced to miss a day school for the Lunar New Year. He also expressed appreciation for the many ways that Bensonhurst’s Asian American community has diversified and enriched the neighborhood.

“Just look at Bay Parkway; just look at 18th Avenue,” he said. “Without the Asian American community, what would these corridors look like? Look at our schools, look at how the Asian American community has enriched our schools.”

Gongs were sounded, dragons danced, and golden rams were raffled off. Lion and dragon performances were followed by a gift ceremony, during which Treyger presented parade organizers Warren Chan, executive director of ACUS, and Stephen Yeung, program coordinator of ACUS,  with certificates for their service to the community.

Neighbor Chun Kit was kind enough to submit many lovely photos of the event:

A video posted by @bensonhurstbean on Mar 1, 2015 at 11:19am PST