28th Lunar New Year Firecracker Ceremony & Cultural Festival on February 17, 2026.

11:00am – 3:30pm. Opening Ceremony and Cultural Festival at Sara D. Roosevelt Park at Chrystie and Grand Streets.

1pm to 4pm : A dozen Lion, Dragon, and Unicorn dance troupes will march down the main streets of Chinatown (Mott, Hester, Bowery, East Broadway, Bayard, Elizabeth, and Pell streets)

February 17th marks the first day of the 2026 Lunar New Year, which will be kicked off with 600,000 rounds of colorful unique designed firecrackers, prepared by highly trained detonation specialists. Setting off firecrackers is a traditional Lunar New Year practice believed to scare away evil spirits and welcome the New Year. Expected attendees include local and federal politicians, community leaders and dignitaries.

After opening ceremonies, a dozen Lion, Dragon, and Unicorn dance troupes will march down the main streets of Chinatown (Mott, Hester, Bowery, East Broadway, Bayard, Elizabeth, and Pell streets) from 1pm to 4pm to help ring in the New Year. A massive festival will be in Sara D. Roosevelt Park that will feature all-day cultural performances by traditional and contemporary Asian and Asian-American singers and dancers, along with food, cultural gifts vendors, arts & crafts, Chinese calligraphy artists, and promotional booths

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