Where are the biggest Chinese New Years festivals in the US?
After two years, many cities are once again planning to go ahead and hold parades and other events to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Chinese New Year will take place on 1 February this year. When the covid-19 pandemic first began in early 2020, the Lunar New Year was one of the first holidays celebrated by billions to be disrupted. This year, after two long years, many celebrations will be returning to major cities around the country.
The three cities in the United States know to have hosted some of the largest Chinese New Year celebrations are San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City. However, like many major events, the covid-19 pandemic has hampered the ability to celibate important holidays all over the world.
San Fransisco
After two years, the Chinese New Year celebrations will return San Francisco. Many businesses in the historic Chinatown, businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, and the latest wave of infections from the Omicron variant has only further deliberated the sector.
Chinatown is one of the major tourist attractions the city has to offer and the lack of visitors has forced many businesses to scale back operations or close completely. With some Chinese New Year events back on the calendar, many are hoping to make up for months of lost revenue. However, the San Fransisco Chronicle has reported that most experts do not expect the tourist economy to return to its pre-pandemic level until 2025, it is unlikely to make a huge dent in their margins.
The annual parade that has not been held since 2019 will take place on 19 February and many in the community are excited for it to make its return. SF Mayor London Breed has announced that public health experts believe that the city has surpassed its Omicron peak, which ideally means cases will be at a much lower level by the time the parade is set to take place.
Chicago
Similar to San Fransisco, businesses in Chinatown in Chicago have also been hit hard by the pandemic. Some restaurants will be hosting events with free food, to encourage people from the city to come down to Chinatown to ring in the New Year.
The Mid-Western city will host two Lunar New Year parades this year. The first, will take place in Argyle and Winthrop at 1 p.m on 5 February. There will also be a parade in Chinatown to celebrate the New Year which will take place on 13 February at 1 p.m. The route for this second parade begins at the intersection of 24th Street and Wentworth Avenue.
What other cities will have celebrations?
New York City, Houston, Boston, Spokane, and many other major cities will be hosting events to celebrate Lunar New Year.
In Spokane, many of those who celebrate are excited as it will be the first year the city hosts an event for Lunar New Year since 1933. The main event, which will take places at the Central Pavilion in Riverfront Park on 5 February, will feature a live show, with food, art exhibitions, and will end with a firework display.