Chicago's Chinatown Celebrates Lunar New Year
Chicago's Chinatown is celebrating the Lunar New Year today, March 1, with its annual parade and festivities. The major cultural event is organized by the Chinatown Community Foundation and marks a significant celebration for the community.
This year's celebration ushers in the Year of the Horse, an animal symbolizing energy, ambition, and rapid change. The parade is a cornerstone of these festivities, which span from mid-February through the beginning of March, attracting tens of thousands of spectators to Wentworth Avenue. In 2024, the event drew an estimated 30,000 people, providing a significant boost to the local economy. The annual parade has a history stretching back over a century, starting around the time the community moved to its current location in 1912. This long-standing tradition features a vibrant procession of traditional dragon and lion dancing teams, colorful floats, and numerous marching bands that travel north from 24th Street to the viewing stand at Cermak and Wentworth. Behind the celebration are key community organizations and leaders. The Chicago Chinatown Community Foundation, led by figures like Chair and Secretary Darryl Tom and Vice Chair Anita Lau, plays a pivotal role in organizing the parade. Concurrently, the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, with leaders such as President Jimmy Lee, focuses on the economic vitality and cultural promotion of the neighborhood. The event's economic importance to the neighborhood is substantial, with local restaurants and retailers reporting some of their highest sales volumes of the year during the festival period. This boost is crucial for a community that has been focused on recovery and growth. Following the pandemic, the number of businesses registered with the local Chamber of Commerce has been steadily climbing back from a low of 17 in 2020 to 25 by 2023.
