Already nostalgic for your New Year’s Eve celebration? It’s time to mark another turn of the calendar. February has come and with it arrives the Year of the Pig and the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration. Meander straight down Third Avenue and The Bowery and you’ll find yourself in the heart of America’s oldest and most dynamic Chinatown.

During the Lunar New Year celebration, the neighborhood comes alive with firecrackers, dance performances, elaborate costumes, and martial arts demonstrations. This year’s festival will take place on February 17th. The parade kicks off at 1 pm down Mott and Canal Streets, continuing onto East Broadway toward the Manhattan Bridge and curving up through Sara D. Roosevelt Park toward Grand Street. The neighborhood party lasts until 4:30 pm. For a map of the parade and other info, visit this page.

Not up for a parade? Don’t forget that Chinatown is bursting with good restaurants and fun karaoke bars, and is certainly worth exploring as you wander through Manhattan.