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Moon landing: A guide to the best Lunar New Year events in Brooklyn

Moon landing: A guide to the best Lunar New Year events in Brooklyn
Stephen Kaplin

Don’t go off half-cocked — plan ahead for the Year of the Rooster!

The Lunar New Year starts on Jan. 28, the first day of the Chinese calender, and Brooklyn will usher in the Year of the Rooster with events peppered across the borough. Whether you prefer dazzling dances or a bustling crafts fair, our guide to local festivities has you covered.

Birds of a feather

The rooster may be flightless, but the Peggy Choy Dance Company will celebrate the Year of Rooster with “Flight,” opening on Jan. 27. The “Afro-Asian Fusion dance” show features traditional Chinese dance combined with modern hip-hop moves, and it is all inspired by the 12th century Persian poem “The Conference of the Birds.”

“Flight” at Kumble Theater at Long Island University [1 University Plaza between Willoughby Street and Dekalb Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 488–1624, www.kumbletheater.org]. Jan. 27–28 at 7:30 pm. $15 ($10 students and seniors).

Get worked opera

Chinese Theatre Works will make some noise at a trio of public libraries, with a program that explores traditional Chinese music with a 21-string zither known as the Guzheng and excerpts of famous Chinese operas including “Farewell My Concubine,” “Peony Pavilion,” and the “Monkey King.” Audience members can also try their hand at folk dances including the ribbon and lion dances. The programs will be in English and Mandarin.

Chinese New Year Celebration at Brooklyn Library New Utrecht Branch [1743 86th St. between Bay 16th Street and 18th Avenue, (718) 236–4086, www.bklynlibrary.org]. Jan. 28 at noon. Free.

Sunset Park Branch [5108 Fourth Ave. between 51st and 52nd Streets in Sunset Park, (718) 567–2806]. Feb. 3 at 4 pm. Free.

McKinley Branch [6802 Fort Hamilton Pkwy. between 68th Street and Bay Ridge Avenue in Dyker Heights, (718) 748–8001]. Feb. 4 at 1 pm. Free.

A fair share

Sink your teeth into Chinese culture at the Sunset Park Recreation Center on Jan. 28, when the Health Essential Association Chen will host a family festival. The event will feature the traditional Lunar New Year treats of almond cookies and sticky cakes, along with arts and crafts, and instructors teaching traditional folk dances to adults and tykes alike.

2017 Year of the Rooster Lunar New Year Event at the Sunset Park Recreation Center [4200 Seventh Ave. between 41st and 44th streets in Sunset Park, (718) 972–2135, www.nycgovparks.org/parks/sunset-park]. Jan. 28, 11 am–2 pm. Free.

The big shebang

The Brooklyn Chinese-American Association will welcome the new year with its annual parade on Jan. 29. The celebration kicks off at 11 am at the corner of Eighth Avenue and 50th Street in Sunset Park, where the audience can see traditional song and dances, kung-fu demonstrations, and shop at a mini-flea market. The parade itself sets off at noon, traveling down Eighth Avenue towards 61st Street.

Annual New Year Celebration parade on Eighth Avenue [Starts at 50th Street and Eighth Avenue in Sunset Park, (718) 438–0008, www.bca.net]. Jan. 29 at 11 am. Free.

Reach reporter Caroline Spivack at cspivack@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260–2523. Follow her on Twitter @carolinespivack.
Big fans: Chinese Theatre Works members will perform scenes from famous operas such as “Farewell My Concubine” and the “Monkey King.”
Stephen Kaplin