Chinatown
While some Lunar New Year events have already taken place, the celebration ramps up considerably this weekend.
The largest event by far is the Chinese New Year Parade celebrating the Year of the Horse, which starts at 11 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 2 at the Millennium Gate on Pender Street. The annual parade, organized by the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver, draws thousands to watch colourful lion dancers, marching bands, martial arts acts and ornate floats. For a parade map and schedule, visit cbavancouver.ca.
That same day, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is hosting the Year of the Horse Temple Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with admission by donation.
The event is fashioned after a spring festival fair organized annually for friends and families to gather and trade, greet, celebrate and pray for a prosperous new year. Also included are traditional Chinese games and activities, fortune telling, live music, food, drinks and a children’s corner where kids can run around and yell to scare evil spirits away.
The Year of the Horse is also being celebrated at International Village Mall on Abbott Street, now through Feb. 2.
The mall has created a festive Chinese New Year Heritage Village on the upper level offering displays of traditional livelihoods, arts and culture and “culinary delights.”
Downtown
LunarFest at the Vancouver Art Gallery takes place Feb. 7 to 9 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.
The free, family-friendly festival includes Asian arts and culture events featuring live theatre, drum performances, story-telling, workshops, games and traditional food and drink.
Coal Harbour
Flyover Canada is celebrating the Lunar New Year with a special virtual experience that includes a spectacular look at China’s landscapes and culture, complete with wind, scents and mist.
FlyOver Canada is an all-ages, flight simulation ride where riders take off into a huge domed screen with the latest in projection and ride technology creating a true flying experience. The ride film Flight of the Dragon debuted at FlyOver Canada and is on now through March 2.
The theatre is located at Canada Place. For ticket information visit flyovercanada.com.
YVR
This event takes place today, so anyone reading the Courier online or is lucky enough to enjoy early morning delivery still has time to get out to the Vancouver Airport for Chinese New Year celebrations from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This free event features live musical entertainment, calligraphy demonstrations, fortune telling and a traditional lion dance. YVR restaurants will also trot in the Year of the Horse with $8.88 lunch specials — the number eight is considered lucky in Chinese culture.
While there, visit the free public observation area where kids and adults can explore interactive displays and enjoy views of the busy airfield through floor-to-ceiling windows or one of several telescopes.
To mark the holiday, YVR is offering a special parking rate of $5 for five hours between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Jan. 31. Pick up parking vouchers at the customer care desk in the International Terminal — Departures Level three. Or begin your Chinese New Year adventure aboard the Canada Line and you’ll be here in 26 minutes or less from the city.
The celebration is concentrated around the Spirit of Haida Gwaii jade canoe sculpture and nearby food court.
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