Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan. 28 this year, will mark the start of the Year of the Rooster for many Asian cultures.
With multiple Chinatown neighborhoods, New York City is a hot spot for celebrations of all kinds. Even the Empire State Building gets in on the action, with plans to illuminate the iconic building in red on Thursday, Jan. 26 and Friday, Jan. 27.
Here's a look at nine different Lunar New Year events going on in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn:
Manhattan
When: Saturday, Jan. 21, noon to 3 p.m.
Where: Chinatown YMCA, 213 Bowery, Lower East Side
Celebrate the Year of the Rooster with this free luncheon and lion dance. There will also be tea tastings, tai chi, lantern making, zodiac readings, crafts and more. To find out more, email dsamuelson@ymcanyc.org or 212-912-2463.
► Fireworks Spectacular on the Hudson River
When: Thursday, Jan. 26 at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Hudson River Pier 84, West 44th Street and 12th Avenue, Hell's Kitchen
Fireworks will light up the sky over the Hudson River as part of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) and the US-China Cultural Institute's Lunar New Year program.
► New Year's Day Firecracker Ceremony & Cultural Festival
When: Saturday, Jan. 28, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Grand and Chrystie streets, Lower East Side
Head to the heart of Chinatown for a celebration of the Lunar New Year. The firecracker ceremony kick-off will be at 12 p.m.
When: Saturday, Jan. 28, 6 p.m. to closing
Where: Chao Chao, 171 Avenue A, East Village
This Vietnamese restaurant is offering a four-course prix fixe menu that includes shrimp chips with mango and chili, tamarind pineapple vegetable noodle soup, and banana sticky rice pudding for $45. Diners will also be able to sample specialty drinks including a sake lychee lunar martini.
► A Lunar New Year Celebration: Madison Street to Madison Avenue
When: Sunday, Jan. 29, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Kicks off at Harman Store, 527 Madison Ave., Midtown
Join the family-friendly festivities along Madison Avenue for the second year of this celebration. There will be performances from groups like the New York Easter Chamber Orchestra and puppeteers from the Chinese Theater Works. Then a lion dance troupe will make its way along Madison Avenue in a specially decorated trolley.
► VHC Tết 2017 - Year of the Rooster - Năm Đinh Dậu
When: Saturday, Feb. 4, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: "The Cave" at St. George's Church, 209 E. 16th St., Gramercy
The Vietnam Heritage Center will be celebrating Tết, the traditional Vietnamese New Year, once again this year. "'Tết,' also called 'the First Day of Spring,' is the time to celebrate many delightful traditions at the heart of Vietnamese culture," the center said in a release.
► 18th Annual New Year City Lunar New Year Parade & Festival
When: Sunday, Feb. 5, 12 to 4:30 p.m.
Where: Starts at Hester and Mott streets, Lower East Side
The streets of Chinatown and Little Italy will be packed with people watching this parade. It all starts at Hester and Mott streets before heading down Mott, turning on East Broadway, and heading up Eldrige Street and ending at Forsythe and Grand streets. The parade kicks off at 1 p.m.
Queens
► Chinese Calligraphy Demonstration
When: Saturday, Jan. 28, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Resort World Casino, 110-00 Rockaway Blvd., Jamaica
Artists Liu Yunqiang and Sheng Xinde will demonstrate calligraphy writing as part of an exhibition celebrating the art form. They will also give away the spring scroll, a Lunar New Year tradition.
► Flushing Lunar New Year Parade
When: Saturday, Feb. 4 at 11 a.m.
Where: Starts at Union Street and 37th Avenue, Flushing
This parade through Queens largest Chinese neighborhood draws a huge crowd every year. You can expect to see costumes, floats and dancing. There will also be a warm-up reception at the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce with coffee and doughnuts at 10 a.m.
When: Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m.
Where: Flushing Town Hall's Theater, 137-35 Northern Boulevard, Flushing
The Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce will host its first Lunar New Year Celebration at the Historic Flushing Town Hall. Events include a lion dance, prosperity toss and raffle. There will also be a feast of roasted suckling pig, golden dumplings, longevity noodles and more. There will also be a cash bar with wine and beer. Tickets are $20 in advance and $28 at the door.
Brooklyn
► Lunar New Year Celebration: Year of the Rooster
When: Sunday, Jan. 22 at 3 p.m.
Where: Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, Whitman Theater at Brooklyn College, 2900 Avenue H, Flatbush
The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company will celebrate the Year of the Rooster at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. Expect to see colorful costumes including red lions, golden dragons and white peacocks while dancers and acrobats perform to music played on traditional instruments. Tickets are $25 for adults and $12.50 for children.
