Arts & Entertainment Downtown Brooklyn

A guide to celebrating Lunar New Year and the Year of the Dog

January 31, 2018 Jaime DeJesus
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/file photo
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It’s time to ring in Lunar New Year.

On Friday, February 16, the Year of the Dog will kick off, which means the borough will be hosting a variety of fun events that the whole family will be sure to enjoy.

The Brooklyn Public Library will feature celebrations in collaboration with the Chinese Theater Works thanks to a sponsorship from Apple Bank.

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“Hao Bang-Ah, Dog!” is a selection of traditional Chinese “budaixi” glove-puppet vignettes based on popular songs and well-known Chinese sayings celebrating canine wisdom, courage and loyalty.

It will be performed at the New Utrecht branch, 1743 86th Street, on Saturday, February 3 at 2 p.m., then on Thursday, February 22, 3:30 p.m., at the Fort Hamilton branch, 9424 Fourth Avenue.

On Saturday, February 10 and Sunday, February 11 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., the Prospect Park Zoo, 450 Flatbush Avenue, will celebrate the holiday with puppet shows, a self-guided scavenger hunt, fortune cookies and a calligraphy workshop. Also, attendees will learn about the Asian roots of the resident wild dog, the dingo.

Borough President Eric Adams will also be celebrating the Year of the Dog with several events.

On Saturday, February 10 from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Adams and the Sino America New York Brooklyn Archway Association will co-host a Lantern Flower Market in the plaza in front of Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street.

The event will feature live cultural performances, including a lion dance from the NY Lotus Light Association, and celebratory giveaways. In Chinese custom, candies, fresh flowers, fruits and new supplies are purchased prior to Lunar New Year.

“Thanks to Borough President Adams for helping to organize these Chinese cultural events,” said Winnie Greco, president of the Archway Association. “This is the first time that a Lantern Flower Market has come to Brooklyn, and there is no better place to host it than the People’s House.”

The Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts will host Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company’s Lunar New Year Celebration: Year of the Dog on Sunday, February 11 at 3 p.m.

The presentation at the Kumble Theater at LIU-Brooklyn, 1 University Plaza, will feature an all-new festival of Chinese music and dance commemorating the Year of the Dog, faithful guardian and loyal friend to mankind. The afternoon will  feature live music performed by the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York and a special performance by internationally-acclaimed acrobat and Guinness Book of World Records holder Lina Liu.

Tickets are $25.

On Saturday, February 17, Beyond at Liberty View, 850 Third Avenue, will host its Lunar New Year event, featuring a singalong at 11 a.m. and a chef cooking food for the holiday at 2 p.m. Then at 3:30 p.m., a New Year parade, presented by the Wan Chi Ming Dragon Dance Team, will take place, winding through the stores where the kids can follow it.

The Sunset Park Recreation Center, Seventh Avenue and 43rd Street, will host its annual Lunar New Year celebration on Saturday, February 17. From 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., families can enjoy performances , games, prizes, an iPhone raffle and more.

One of the highlights of the celebration each year is the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association’s (BCAA) annual New Year Celebration Parade.

This year, on Sunday, February 18, the festivities will begin at 11 a.m. at the grandstand at Eighth Avenue and 50th Street, with performances and cultural activities. Then at noon, the opening ceremony will be held. Attendees can expect similar festivities as have occurred in past years such as appearances by community leaders as well as public and elected officials, a fireworks display, a traditional lion dance, a Kung-Fu demonstration, and performances by children in public school and day care programs.

A whopping 50,000 spectators are expected to attend the celebration.

A few days later, on Thursday, February 22 from 6-9 p.m., Adams will also host a Year of the Dog Celebration, also at Borough Hall including live performances, traditional Chinese cuisine and an awards ceremony honoring Chinese-American Brooklynites who have given back to their community. Attendees are asked to RSVP for this event at brooklyn-usa.org/chinesenewyear2018.

Finally, State Senator Marty Golden will host his annual Lunar New York event at New Utrecht High School, 1601 80th Street, on Sunday, March 4 from 2-5 p.m. complete with performances by local kids and theater groups as well as the traditional performance of the lion dance.


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