Hundreds, including several elected officials, show face on historic day
February 27, 2024 Wayne Daren Schneiderman
Confetti cannons mark the start of the Lantern Festival Parade. Photo: Wayne Daren Schneiderman/Brooklyn Eagle
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SUNSET PARK — There were faces as far back as the eye could see, and a cornucopia of vibrant colors punctuating the afternoon sky. The day was brisk, with the sun peeking through, and the setting ideal for what several hundreds were about to behold: the first annual Brooklyn Lantern Festival Parade — celebrating the final day of the traditional Chinese/Lunar New Year.
Taking place on Saturday, in Sunset Park’s Chinatown, on Seventh Avenue, the event was one of the many Lunar New Year celebrations in New York and around the world. It, of course, featured traditional dragon/lion dances and cultural and artistic performances, as well as a who’s who of elected officials in attendance that addressed the crowd before the parade began.
They included Mayor Eric Adams; Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso; Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay; Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez; Assemblyman Lester Chang, 49th District (representing Bath Beach, Bensonhurst, Borough Park, and Dyker Heights); State Sen. Iwen Chu; Assemblyman William Colton, 47th District (representing Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Bath Beach, Dyker Heights, and Midwood); Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, 38th District (representing Woodhaven, Forrest Park, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, and Glendale); among others.