Lunar New Year parade in Montreal
Posted February 1, 2025 2:09 pm.
Last Updated February 1, 2025 6:08 pm.
Montrealers braved the chilly weather today to celebrate the Lunar New Year with a vibrant parade in Chinatown.
Marking day four of the festivities, the parade made it’s way down René-Lévesque Boulevard, ringing in the year of the snake.
Organizers say it’s one of the biggest Lunar New Year parades in Canada.
The festivities were organized by the Montreal Lunar New Year Festival Committee, in collaboration with various local partners. Highlights included dragon and lion dance parades, Kung Fu demonstrations, folk dances, and a Hanfu fashion show.
Visitors also enjoyed performances by local Asian artists and artistic installations such as giant lanterns, an inflatable snake, and a luminous arch.
“This year is the year of the snake,” said Yifeng Eva Hu, organizer of Montreal’s Lunar New Year Festival. “It is so important, it’s the year of wisdom, prosperity and innovation.”
The festival, running from January 29 to February 2 aims to showcase Asian traditions and invites everyone to join the celebration.
“I expect that the parade is going to really bring in more foot traffic, which will help the merchants in Chinatown,” said Winston Chan, organizing committee member of Montreal’s Lunar New Year Festival. “We’re very happy with the response from the people that come to celebrate Lunar New Year and also help to give a soul back to Chinatown and to celebrate the East Asian culture of Chinatown.”
