The good thing about the Chinese New Year is that anyone can experience it, whether you are in the US or Europe, you don’t need to make a pilgrimage to China as through their long and extensive history of trade, there are sizable Chinese diasporas in nearly every country in the world. We’ve compiled a list of the top places in the US to take in and capture the wide array of festivities to welcome to year of the Earth Dog – one of the biggest celebrations in the world – right in their backyards. There’s something for everyone and the best thing is, it’s all family friendly.

  1. San Francisco: In the US, most Chinatowns will be dazzling in red and gold. Our top recommendation is the one in San Francisco, being the oldest Chinatown in the country, they have things on for around 15 days including a massive parade that includes more than 100 floats, as well as performances with a 28-foot dragon dance as the highlight.
  2. Los Angeles: Fancy a scavenger hunt? The Firecracker 10k is the place to be. Whilst you can dazzle in the auras of the flower fair in Monetary Park. There is much more than celebratory spotting and plastic surgery contemplation as this time of year.

    The LA Fire Cracker 10k. Photo Credit: Mike Danenberg.

  3. New York: Still getting over the magical New Year’s Day countdown? Well, New York New York comes in third with its own very unique surprises. The extravaganza starts with New Year’s Day Firecracker Ceremony & Cultural Festival at Sara D. Roosevelt Park. The highlight of the festivities can be found by heading out to Manhattan, which has a large scale parade on February 16th taking place in Manhattan’s Chinatown. The China Institute of America also conducts workshops during the Chinese New Year weekend.

    Chinese New Year parade in New York City

  4. Washington DC: No, Donald Trump isn’t coming out dressed as a dragon, but there’s plenty to do at this time of year in the nation’s capital. A lot of the buzz revolves around restaurants such as Ping Pong Dim Sum with its party brunch and the folks at Toki Underground will host cooking classes, there is no better way to get into the spirit by getting your hand dirty. This all culminates with yet another lively parade in Chinatown, which features much more than floats – kung fu is very much in the mix. An enriching experience can be found as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which hosts a Chinese New Year event.

    Dragon head from Chinese New Year Parade in Washington DC.

  5. Boston: Being home the third largest Chinatown in the US, has its perks. From, restaurants to traditional Chinese displays of lion dances makes it a perfect time to take in the sights and sounds.
  6. Chicago: We round of our list with Chicago, which takes a more scholarly approach that will leave you feeling somewhat enlightened by learning more about the Lunar New Year. Being home to the Chinese American Museum, there are a series of informative sessions where you can even see how the all-famous lion dance is made. Not only that, but there’s a special (encore) performance by the Chinese National Opera.

    Entrance to the Chinese American Museum in Chicago

This is just a sample of the best Chinese New Year events out there; most States have some form of celebrations so you should have no problem finding Chinese New Year closer to home. All these events happen during the Chinese New Year period, which is on February 16 in 2018 – most things in the US happen in a window of 7 days, and nothing beyond 15 days, so don’t miss out. The above festivities also happen on an annual basis, so if you’ve missed it out on this occasion, make sure you plan early for 2019, which will welcome the year of the Pig on February 5.

Remember all these entertaining and dazzling occasions are best for photography, making lasting memories. Make it count by purchasing and displaying it on a NIX/ Nixplay digital photo frame. The new NIX Lux collection’s elegant design can complement a large collection of those beautiful Lunar New Year photos captured; whilst grandma can enjoy her stunning Nixplay Iris WiFi cloud frames and see what all the fuss is about without leaving her front door!

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.