LA Chinatown Celebrates the Year of the Horse With a Spectacular Festival and Parade

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Year of the Horse is one of exuberance - get ready to travel, socialize, and participate in your community! Lunar New Year, also called Spring Festival, is the most important holiday in Asia and for Asian Americans especially in Los Angeles, which boasts one of the most diverse Asian populations in the world. The oldest and most recognized New Years celebration in America is LA Chinatown's Chinese New Year Festival, drawing more than 150,000 for the weekend-long celebration on Feb. 1, 12-8 p.m. and Feb. 2, 12-5 p.m.

LA Chinatown kicks off the Year of the Horse at Thien Hau Temple in a traditional celebration to welcome the Chinese New Year. Attendees can participate in traditional incense burning, make offerings to deities, watch dramatic lion dances, and witness 500,000 firecrackers in action at one of Los Angeles' grandest temples. This ceremony takes place on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 11:00 p.m., on Chinese New Year's Eve.

The celebration continues through the weekend, Feb. 1st and 2nd with the 115th Annual Golden Dragon Parade and Chinese New Year Festival. Cheer on the spectacular floats, decked-out cars, dancers and bands as they parade down the heart of Chinatown with Grand Marshal Mayor Eric Garcetti.

The Chinese New Year Festival gets underway following the parade with cultural performances, children's activities and hands-on cultural workshops. Taste a bite of Chinatown with traditional Chinese cuisine offered at many Chinatown restaurants, or street food and non-traditional dishes offered by some of LA's hottest gourmet food trucks. There will also be a Craft Beer Garden curated by Eagle Rock Brewery featuring local breweries.

New for this year are two satellite festival locations; Downtown Flea at 727 N. Hill St. and Spring Festival on Spring. DTFlea brings its massively popular flea and craft market to Chinatown in not one, but two locations! Both Central Plaza and 727 N. Hill will play host to Downtown's coolest eclectic shopping place. Over on Spring St, 643 North and Caveman Vintage Music are teaming up to present a food and music experience unique to Chinatown! Spring Festival on Spring will run Saturday only 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The Chinese New Year Festival takes place at Central and West Plaza, 943-951 N. Broadway on Saturday, 02/01/2014 12-8 p.m. and Sunday, 02/02/2014 12-5 p.m.  The 115th Annual Golden Dragon Parade is on Saturday, 02/01/2014 1-3 p.m. DTFlea Market at 727 N. Hill and in Central Plaza will operate during all Festival Hours. Spring Festival on Spring is Saturday 02/01/2014 only, 4-10 p.m.

Always popular, the 2014 LA Chinatown Firecracker 5/10K Run/Walk follows on February 23 – 24, 2014. Visit firecracker10k.org for details. For information on the Chinese New Year Festival visit www.chinatownla.com or call 213-680-0243.

SOURCE Los Angeles Chinatown Business Improvement District