Here’s what you shouldn’t miss this 2020 Lunar New Year

very lunar new year, Chicago has always been filled with different activities that you should not miss. Cultural dances, art exhibitions, and colourful festivities await to those who will come. We, in Chicago Asian Network, prepared a list of activities that you will surely enjoy.

• Citywide Chinese New Year Kick-Off 

Date and Time: January 24, 12:00 pm

Venue: Preston Bradley Hall, Chicago Cultural Center

Usher in the Lunar New Year with a multi-arts lunch hour performance at the Chicago Cultural Center's historic Preston Bradley Hall, and indulge in a spectacular showcase of lion dance, Chinese dance, music, and direct from China, special guest artists the Zhejiang Shaoju Opera Theatre.

School groups interested in attending should contact eclawson@chinesefinearts.org, or fill out this form. Please note that limited seating is available on a first come, first served basis.

• 설(Sul), Korean Lunar New Year

       Date and Time: January 25, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Venue: Korean Cultural Center of Chicago

Join the Korean Lunar New Year program and enjoy the following: information session, korean traditional performance, Sul activities (세배, 한복), and Sul food (전, 떡국, 잡채). There is $5 registration fee per person and RSVP is required. 

• Korean Music Concert to celebrate Lunar New Year

Date and Time: January 25, 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Venue: Korean Cultural Center of Chicago

Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago (KPAC) presents a New Year Kick-off concert. Various Korean music performances will be provided. To celebrate Lunar New Year, Korean rice cake and rice wine will be offered. Free admission.

• Navy Pier Global Connections: Chinese New Year Celebration

Date and Time: January 25, 1:00 - 5:00 pm

Venue: AON Grand Ballroom

Enjoy an extravaganza of dance, martial arts, music and drumming on three stages, kicked off by our iconic lion dancers, as Navy Pier's AON Grand Ballroom is transformed into a festive Chinese marketplace. Create some Year of the Rat inspired crafts; have your name translated into Chinese characters or get some delicious food from Furama restaurant to commemorate the occasion.

• Chinese New Year Celebration 2020

Date and Time: January 26, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Venue: Orchestra Hall, Symphony Center

Celebrate the Chinese New Year at Symphony Center with a dynamic evening of traditional Chinese music and theater. The Shanghai Chinese Orchestra highlights the history, legacy and influence of Chinese culture with a program of work performed on traditional instruments. The Zhejiang Shaoju Opera Theatre brings the festive costumes, percussion and drama of Chinese opera to the stage.

• 2020 Argyle Lunar New Year

Date and Time: February 1, 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Venue: Argyle Station

The annual Argyle Lunar New Year Parade is a decades-old Uptown tradition celebrating the start of the new Lunar Year.  Join them as they kick off the YEAR OF THE RAT with music, colorful lion dances, live entertainment, and our community parade which will start at Argyle & Winthrop at 1:00pm sharp. Join Alderman Harry Osterman, Uptown United, and the Argyle business community for this special event!

• Today at Apple: Chinese New Year Celebration

Date and Time: February 1, 2:00pm - 3:30pm

Venue: Apple Michigan Avenue

Enjoy interactive multi-arts performances of Chinese dance, martial arts, calligraphy, and music. Then, get hands-on experience using the enhanced slo-mo and time-lapse video features of iPhone filming the performances and learn tips from Apple's own Today at Apple team.

• Lunar New Year Parade
  

        Date and Time: February 2, 1:00 pm

Venue: 24th Street and Wentworth Avenue

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Chinese New Year falls on January 25, 2020 (Year of the Rat, 4718), and the Lunar New Year parade will be held on Sunday, February 2, 2020. The parade will begin at 1:00 p.m. at 24th Street and Wentworth Avenue.  The procession will head north up Wentworth to Cermak Road, and feature marching bands, colorful floats, traditional lion dances and a special appearance by Ronald McDonald.

• 37th Asian American Coalition Lunar New Year Dinner Gala

Date and Time: February 8, 4:30 pm

Venue: Hyatt Regency O’Hare

Each year, the Asian American Community celebrates the accomplishments of its community and business leaders by hosting the largest Asian Coalition dinner gala at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare. The 37th Asian American Coalition Lunar New Year Dinner Gala event will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2020. On behalf of the 2020 Asian American Coalition Dinner Banquet Planning Committee, it is our pleasure to invite you and your organization to participate in this premier, black tie optional gala event which will be at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Hotel, 9300 Bryn Mawr Avenue, Rosemont, IL 60018.

• Lunar New Year Lantern Procession and Celebration

Date and Time: February 8, 5:00pm

Venue: Millenium Park to Maggie Daley Park

Celebrate Lunar New Year at the Art Institute of Chicago from 1:00 - 4:30pm. Then, light up the night with a lion-dance led lantern procession from Millennium Park to Maggie Daley Park, followed by more New Year's activities, including a lion dance finale, crafts, food, and ice skating.  Procession will line-up across from the Art Institute's   Modern wing, next to the Lurie Children's Garden.

• Lunar New Year with Yin He Dance

Date and Time: February 9, 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Venue: Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts

Come celebrate the new year with us at this all-ages family program featuring dances from China’s different regions and ethnic enclaves! Learn and play through performances, cultural lessons, and hands-on activities that are sure to thrill both young and young-at-heart. We'll see you there! Free admission!

• 2020 Chinese New Year Celebration

Date and Time: February 9, 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Venue: Chinese American Museum of Chicago

Please join the Chinese American Museum of Chicago in welcoming and celebrating the Year of the Rat at our Annual Chinese New Year Celebration. The festive event will feature Chinese music, Chinese food, arts and crafts, and more! And what would a Chinese New Year Celebration be without a traditional Chinese Lion Dance! It's a perfect event for the entire family!

Sounds fun, isn’t it? For more information regarding these events, you can visit our website www.chicagoasiannetwork.com. From us at Chicago Asian Network, Gong Xi Fa Cai!