As drums, firecrackers, and lion dancers take over the streets, Boston’s Chinatown prepares to welcome the Year of the Horse with one of the city’s most vibrant winter traditions. The Boston Chinese New Year Parade returns on Sunday, March 1, running from 10:30 AM to 3 PM, and turning Chinatown into a corridor of sound, color, and celebration as dragon processions, cultural groups, and more ceremonies move through the neighborhood.
Boston Lunar New Year Parade festivities
Just off the parade route, Pao Arts Center at 99 Albany Street will host a family-friendly Lunar New Year Celebration from 11 AM to 3 PM, offering interactive workshops, cultural art activities, and performances that invite visitors to explore tradition through creativity.
Ahead of the big day, Chinatown Main Street’s Flower Market at the China Trade Center brings festive blooms, decorations, and New Year goods from February 11–16, returning on March 1 as a Cultural Village with lion dances, music, crafts, and Chinese calligraphy for all ages. Find the Flower Market and Cultural Village at the China Trade Center located at 2 Boylston Street.
On the Rose Kennedy Greenway, Daphne Xu’s installation “Boston Busing in Chinatown, 1975” remains on view at Auntie Kay & Uncle Frank Chin Park, reflecting on Chinatown’s history and resilience as a new Year of the Horse–themed artwork arrives this spring. Dress warm and leave time to support local restaurants and shops while you’re in the neighborhood.