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note: please check dates carefully, in case a site hasn't updated for 2010.
San Francisco: Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Parade
A giant illuminated night parade has been a tradition since just after the Gold Rush in the 1860's. Elaborate floats, martial arts, stilt walkers, lion dancers, acrobatics, 201-ft.-long Golden Dragon ("Gum Lung"), exploding firecrackers. Time is Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 5:15 pm. (You can buy bleacher seats!) Watch for the 201' Golden Dragon, carried by a team of over 100 people. About.com's guide for California for Visitors has photos from past San Francisco Chinese New Year Parades.
San Francisco has other Chinese New Year celebrations too: a street fair, a Spring Festival, Flower Fair, and more.
Seattle Lunar New Year Celebration
Seattle's Chinatown/International District is the setting for this annual celebration; in 2010, the venue is Hing Hay Park, the date is February 13, fro 11 until 4, and the price of admission is -- free. Lion and dragon dances, live cultural performances, children's activities, arts & crafts; Children's Parade Contest; Lunar New Year Scavenger Hunt.
Los Angeles Golden Dragon Parade
Celebrated for over a hundred years; over 110,000 people line the route; takes place in LA's Chinatown, and 2010 date is Saturday Feb. 20th. There's also a festival, on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 21 and 21 2010.
More Los Angeles Chinese New Year Celebrations
And Vietnamese New Year festivities, too.
Los Angeles: Universal Studios Hollywood
Look for festivities for the Lunar New Year and Chinese Lantern Festival in this popular theme park. Previous years have seen a 2-hour spectacle and nearly 200 performers: dancers, acrobats, stilt walkers, singers from the Beijing Opera Troupe... all included with regular park admission. Also, a parade through the Universal CityWalk entertainment zone.
Chinese New Year in New York City
About's Guide for New York City offers a roundup of the year's celebrations, and also has pictures of the Dragon Parade.
Queens: Lunar New Year Parade
Flushing, Queens, is home to a large Chinese population, rivaling Manhattan's Chinatown. Other east Asian communities -- especially Koreans-- join in a major Lunar New Year Parade, with dragon dancers, steel drummers, and fireworks. About's Guide for Queens has details, above.
Washington DC: Chinese New Year Parade
Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated in Chinatown with parade, Lion and Dragon Dances, and other festivities. Look out for a giant firecracker!
Honolulu's Chinatown
Many festivals and traditions for Chinese New Year, including Lion Dance, Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat races.
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Chinese New Year in Vancouver, BC
Vancouver has a large Chinese community, and the Spring Parade is held annually in Chinatown on the first Sunday of the Lunar New Year, with entertainment and lion dance. The 2010 Vancouver Spring Festival Parade takes place February 14; due to Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games activities, the parade starts earlier than usual, at 9:30 am -- see Chinese New Year Parade info (scroll down for 2010.) Following the parade is a "Cultural Fair" at the nearby beautiful Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden, which has extended hours in February for 21 days of Chinese New Year.
Chinese New Year in Canada - Overview
Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa, and Montreal also have celebrations.
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Round the World: Chinese New Year Celebrations
Chinese New Year - in China
About.com's Guide to China has background and historical info about Chinese New Year and the Lantern festival; photos; activity calendar; and even a Q & A for travelers. Fireworks happen everywhere!
Chinese New Year in Hong Kong
Huge celebrations; the International Chinese New Year Parade is a must-see, as are the fireworks over the harbor. Many Chinese celebrations around the world have their roots in Hong Kong, and were spread through emigration.
Singapore
Major festivities! 2009 saw an all-night "Parade of Dreams" (huge fireworks, two parades, 3000 performers, pyrotechnic floats; annual Chinatown "light up" and over a month of celebrations; riverside cultural exposition (music, crafts, fireworks) and more.
Chinese New Year - Sydney Australia
Sydney's Chinese New Year Festival is billed as "the largest celebration of the Lunar New Year outside Asia." The 2009 event - whose ambassador was Jackie Chan-- drew over 600,000 weekends over three weekends. 2010 festivities for the Year of the Tiger will take place between 12 February and 28 February 2010. About.com's Guide for Australia Travel has colorful photos from a previous Chinese New Year in Sydney's Chinatown.
London
About's Guide for London for Visitors covers Chinese New Year festivities in London. In 2010, the big day for celebrations is Sunday Feb. 21, starting with an opening ceremony in Trafalgar Square at noon. Fireworks will end the fun.
Chinese New Year Celebrations Around the UK
Manchester has a Golden Dragon Parade, small town of Chatham has a big festival... many cities in the UK join the party!
Chinese New Year in Paris
Paris has a large French-Chinese community, and Chinese New Year is one of the city's most popular annual events, with parade and weeks of performing arts.
Helsinki, Finland
Chinese New Year is celebrated big-time -- thanks to cooperation between the cities of Helsinki and Beijing-- with fireworks, performances, a Chinese market, and live broadcasts of Beijing festivities. 15 days after Chinese New Year, a Lantern Festival is held with free entertainment.
For other cities around the world, find out about events at Festivals.com. (Just enter "Chinese New Year" in the search box.)
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It's the year 4708, and time to welcome the Year of the Tiger!
