By Amanda Moses
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Lunar New Year Parade returned to Lower Manhattan’s Chinatown on Feb. 20th in all its beautiful splendor.
Kicking off between Mott and Hester Streets, thousands of attendees beheld the spectacle of floats, bands, and marchers as they sent pieces of golden confetti and plastic flower petals bursting into the air. Some donned traditional Asian clothing, while others smiled and greeted each other with “Gung Hay Fat Choy!”
The significance of the occasion was acknowledged by Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams who also joined the celebration. Many attendees showed their appreciation for the Chinatown community by offering their patronage at local shops and visiting festival booths in Kimlau Square.
The parade route went from Canal Street toward the Manhattan Bridge, culminating on Eldridge and Forsyth Streets by Sara D. Roosevelt Park.
Photos by Amanda Moses