Chinese New Year Parade
The Chinese New Year Parade is held in DC’s Chinatown neighborhood to celebrate the Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year Parade celebrates the start of the Chinese New Year, which is based on a lunar calendar. 2017 was the Year of the Rooster, and parade sergeants wore delightful gold hats with stuffed roosters on top. Since 2018 is the Year of the Dog, I expect to see lots of cute pups in the parade.
Although several news articles online say this is one of the largest Chinese New Year parades in the country with estimated crowds of 30,000-40,000 people, this is hard to believe. Even with mild weather this year, I showed up to empty streets about 30 minutes before the parade began. The route filled out with a decent showing of spectators by the time the parade began, but it would be generous to say there were more than 4,000 people in attendance for the parade. This makes for a low-stress event that’s easy to navigate and find a spot with a good view.
The intersection at 7th and H Streets NW makes for good viewing of the Chinese New Year Parade with the Friendship Arch as a backdrop, but the 6th Street section of the route is the least crowded. The parade itself is small and only takes about half an hour to view. Mayor of DC, Muriel Bowser, led the parade with members of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association.
Most of the Chinese New Year Parade was made up of typical marchers like local school bands, politicians, beauty queens, and the Girl Scouts. In addition, there were a few groups of lion and dragon dancers as well as other local Chinese associations and community groups. The Nationals’ mascot, Screech, also made an appearance.
My favorite part of any local parade is a performance by Batalá Washington, an all-women Afro-Brazilian band. They were powerful, fun, and energetic, as always.
Attendees are encouraged to wear red to the Chinese New Year Parade for good luck. Overall, this is a fun activity worth an hour of your Sunday afternoon. Just keep your expectations low since the size of the parade matches that of DC’s small Chinatown neighborhood.
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Address
7th and H Streets NW
Metro Station
- Gallery Place-Chinatown (RD, GR, YL)
Directions
In 2019, the parade begins at 6th and I Streets NW and ends at 6th and H Streets NW. You can view the parade map on their website.
Cost
Free
Hours
The 2019 parade will be held on Sunday, February 10 at 2:00 pm.
The timing of the Chinese New Year depends on the first day of the lunar new year, which can fall any time between late January to mid-February. The parade is usually held on a Sunday with a start time of 2:00 pm.
Length of Adventure
1 hour
