How to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Brooklyn

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2020 is the Year of the Rat, and what better way to celebrate a year dedicated to New York City’s unofficial mascot than to attend a Lunar New Year celebration in Brooklyn? Here are some spots around the borough where you can do just that.

The Sunset Park Recreation Center at 4200 Seventh Ave. will host its annual Chinese Lunar New Year celebration with performances, raffles, giveaways, prizes, games and more, on Saturday, Jan. 25 from 10 am – 2 pm. 

Community leaders will take part in the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association‘s Chinese New Year Celebration Parade on Sunday, Jan. 26, with welcoming remarks from elected officials, followed by a traditional lion dance, a Kung-Fu demonstration, performances by local children and a spectacular fireworks display. 

The celebration will begin at 11 a.m. at the grandstand at Eighth Avenue and 50th Street in Sunset Park, with opening remarks, performances and cultural activities. The parade will start at 1 p.m., led by the head lion and a troupe, VIP guests and marching teams, who will proceed along Eighth Avenue toward 61st Street. Lions will dance in front of each store to bring good luck and fortune to the community.

Industry City will host its Lion Dance event from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26 from 2 – 4 pm. Keep an eye on the dancing dragon — according to Chinese lore, the longer it is, the more luck it brings to the community.

The Brooklyn Children’s Museum at 145 Brooklyn Ave. will celebrate the holiday on Sun., Jan. 26. Attendees can join the Chinatown Young Lions for a parade throughout the museum, and learn about Lunar New Year with Brooklyn-based author Michele Wong McSween, who will read from her new book, “Gordon & Li Li: Celebrate Chinese New Year.”

Borough President Eric Adams will join the Sino America New York Brooklyn Archway Association Friday, Feb. 7, to host a Lunar New Year Cultural Celebration from 6 – 9 p.m. at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St. Among the highlights will be celebratory giveaways, children’s activities and live performances.

New Utrecht High School at 1601 80th St., will host its celebration of Lunar New Year on Sunday, March 1, from 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., with help from U.S. Rep Max Rose, State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, Assemblymember Peter Abbate and Councilmember Justin Brannan. The celebration will include a lion dance, martial arts performances, dance and musical performances, games, raffles and more.

Every weekend in February, the Prospect Park Zoo at 450 Flatbush Ave. will celebrate the festival of the new moon and animals of the Chinese zodiac. Meet one of the tiniest rodents in the world, the Eurasian Harvest Mouse, and learn how the Wildlife Conservation Society is helping animals in China and Southeast Asia. Special activities and a zodiac-themed scavenger hunt will all be a part of the fun.

Every weekend in February, the Prospect Park Zoo at 450 Flatbush Ave. will celebrate the festival of the new moon and animals of the Chinese zodiac. Meet one of the tiniest rodents in the world, the Eurasian Harvest Mouse, and learn how the Wildlife Conservation Society is helping animals in China and Southeast Asia. Special activities and a zodiac-themed scavenger hunt will all be a part of the fun.