Washington, DC

(Washington, DC) – On Sunday, February 10, to represent the culture and diversity of DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser will celebrate the turn of the lunar calendar at the 2019 Lunar New Year Parade in Chinatown, an event to feature live performances, bright floats, and bring out thousands of spectators. The parade is free and open to the public- RSVPs are collected here.

The annual colorful parade in streets of the District’s Chinatown is organized by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA). The parade, which celebrates the Year of the Pig, will begin at 2 pm on February 10 at I Street and 6 th Street, NW and end at H Street and 6th Street, NW. Mayor Bowser—along with City Councilmembers, CCBA, and honored guests—will lead the parade, give the keynote address, and present a proclamation to mark the Lunar New Year.

With thousands from around the District and beyond partaking in the festivities, lion dances, traditional music and dance from a variety of Asian cultures, martial arts demonstrations, and floats highlighting the variety of Asian and Pacific Islander groups in the District will greet revelers. Recent efforts have been made to create a more inclusive and diverse parade with the return of Batala Washington, an all-women Afro-Brazilian band along with first time entrant DC Different Drummers, an LGBTQ marching band.

“My office is excited see the annual Lunar New Year Parade come to life after months of planning with CCBA. We’re proud to showcase and the unique cultural traditions of the AAPI community to the greater DC community,” said Ben de Guzman, Acting Director of the Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA).

The Lunar New Year is an ancient holiday celebrated across many East Asian countries including China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The pig, which is the zodiac animal of 2019, is associated with wealth, good fortune, and hard work.

At the parade, MOAPIA will present Mayor Bowser with a new report from the Asian American Leadership Action Forum. MOAPIA convened the community town hall in May 2018 to provide feedback and input to the Mayor regarding priorities and issues of common concern for AAPI residents of the District. For more information about the report, contact MOAPIA at (202) 727-3120 or via e-mail at [email protected].