Chinatown Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival

About this happenin

Lunar New Year starts in Chinatown with the Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival in Sara D. Roosevelt Park, at Grand Street. Better Chinatown USA, a volunteer group founded in 2001, holds it on the first day of the new year itself, whichever weekday that turns out to be, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Setting off firecrackers to frighten evil spirits is one of the oldest New Year customs. Dragon and lion dance teams work the crowd while drummers keep time on a big ceremonial drum. Better Chinatown says all of its events are free and open to all. The Lunar New Year Parade is a separate event, held on a Sunday a couple of weeks later. The ceremony is the one to catch for the day itself.

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Where

Sara D. Roosevelt Park · Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Chrystie Street at Grand Street, New York, NY 10002