Lunar New Year celebrations continued in Sunset Park on Saturday at the inaugural Brooklyn Lantern Festival and Parade, the brainchild of the borough’s first Chinese-American council member.
The parade — hosted by Council Member Susa Zhuang, in partnership with Asian American Community Empowerment — kicked off at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 61st Street, featuring colorful costumes and dazzling performances.
The Lantern Festival and Parade is incredibly significant among Chinese and other Asian communities, and marks the end of Lunar New Year festivities 15 days after the start of the holiday.
“As Brooklyn’s first Chinese-American Council Member, I am proud to work with my colleagues and friends to bring our community together to celebrate the beautiful traditions of Chinese culture,” Zhuang said in a statement. “Bringing people together to create wonderful memories and experiences while honoring traditions is a win-win for our community.”
The parade gave thousands of spectators the opportunity to celebrate the holiday with its traditional vibrant dance performances, songs and marching with decorated lanterns.
Honored guests at the celebration included Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Also among those in attendance were Council Members Julie Menin, Sandra Ung, Shekar Krishnan and Farah Louis, as well as Assembly Members Jennifer Rajkumar, Grace Lee and Lester Chang.
“Yesterday in Sunset Park: I was proud to march in the first ever Brooklyn Lantern Festival Parade,” Rajkumar said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Congratulations to Susan Zhuang on organizing this historic parade, bringing together tens of thousands of Chinese New Yorkers.”
The parade follows a historic resolution which passed on the New York Assembly floor earlier this month which formally recognized Lunar New Year as a statewide school holiday.
“I am proud to speak on this resolution recognizing Lunar New Year in New York State,” Assembly Member Lee said on Feb. 22, when the resolution was passed. “This resolution celebrates the over 1.6 million Asian New Yorkers by honoring the biggest and most widely-celebrated traditional holiday in Asian culture. This year, Lunar New Year is especially significant; it is the first since we led and successfully passed legislation making New York the first state in the country to recognize Lunar New Year as a statewide public school holiday. Now, millions of families across the state will no longer need to choose between sending their children to school and celebrating their heritage.”
Lee said the resolution to recognize Lunar New Year as a statewide holiday was also a recognition of the innumerable contributions Asian Americans have made to the country and to New York.
[This resolution] sends a message that we are New Yorkers, we are American and that we belong here,” said Lee. “Let’s use 2024 as an opportunity to take bold, innovative action on behalf of New Yorkers.”
Ahead of the parade, Zhuang also thanked the New York City Police Department for working with her office to ensure parade-goers’ safety.
“I also want to thank our amazing community partners in the NYPD, who have been very helpful and accommodating to ensure this event proceeds safely for all to enjoy,” she said.
