Flushing prepares for return of Lunar New Year parade
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
After a hiatus due to
the COVID-19 pandemic,
Flushing’s joyous Lunar New
Year parade is set to return
on Saturday, Feb. 5.
The Flushing Chinese
Business Association (FCBA)
and other members of the 2022
Lunar New Year Parade Committee
hosted its final press
conference for the Lunar New
Year parade at the Sheraton
LaGuardia East Hotel on
Thursday, Jan. 27. They were
joined by several local elected
officials including state Senator
Toby Ann Stavisky and
Queens Borough President
Donovan Richards, as well
as 109th Precinct’s Deputy
Inspector John O’Connell.
O’Connell went over expected
road closures, which
will begin at 8:30 a.m. on
Feb. 5. Union Street, between
Northern Boulevard and Roosevelt
Avenue, will be closed
as it will be the staging area
for parade floats.
The rest of the route —
Sanford Avenue between
Union Street and Main
Street; Main Street between
Sanford Avenue and Northern
Boulevard; Roosevelt Avenue
between Prince Street
and Bowne Street; 39th Avenue
between Main Street and
Union Street; 38th Avenue between
138th Street and Main
Street; and 37th Avenue between
Main Street and Bowne
Street — will close at 10:30
a.m. that Saturday before the
parade begins at 11 a.m.
Community organizations
and cultural groups
will march from 37th Avenue
down Union Street,
along Sanford Avenue, and
finish the parade on Main
Street and 38th Avenue in
downtown Flushing.
Buses will be rerouted
during the parade, with temporary
bus stops on Bowne
Street between Roosevelt and
Barclay Avenues, according
to O’Connell.
O’Connell said there will
be about 150 police officers on
site during the parade.
“We are looking forward to
this exciting day,” O’Connell
said. “These are the things
we do look forward to as a
police department.”
The Flushing Lunar New
TIMESLEDGER | Q 10 NS.COM | FEB. 4 - FEB. 10, 2022
Year parade, which will celebrate
the Year of the Tiger,
marks the return of the annual
tradition since the onset
of the COVID-19 pandemic in
2020.
Stavisky said the event will
be a way to “celebrate together
in person, but carefully.”
“I have been to many of
the Lunar New Year parades.
I don’t think I’ve missed
any since I’ve been elected,”
Stavisky said. “I look forward
to continuing the tradition
of coming together, working
together and having fun
together.”
Richards noted this year’s
celebrations will be special,
as the Flushing community
has seen different kinds of adversities
during the ongoing
pandemic.
“One we’ve seen a pandemic
of great magnitude impact
our community, but then we
dealt with a second wave of
a pandemic, and that is the
pandemic of hate,” Richards
said. “We will never stand for
Asian hate. We will stand up
against Asian hate. And that
is why this year, in the Year
of the Tiger, we’ll be talking
about bravery and strength,
something that this community
exuberated time in and
time out again.”
The Greater Flushing
Chamber of Commerce and
St. George’s Church will be
hosting a Pre-Parade Lunar
New Year Reception on Saturday,
Feb. 5. The chamber welcomes
everyone wishing to
join the festivities by warming
up with hot coffee and refreshments
before marching
in the parade.
The free reception will be
held at St. George’s Church,
located at 135-32 38th Ave. in
Flushing, from 9:30 to 10:30
a.m. For more information
and to register in advance,
visit lunar2022.eventbrite.
com.
The parade is organized
by a coalition of community
groups led by the FCBA
and the Korean American
Association of Queens.
“2022 looks to be a year
full of big changes, risktaking
and adventure as
the Tiger is known for its
strength, ambition, courage,
generosity, self-confidence,
sense of justice and a commitment
to help others for
the greater good,” said Taehoon
Kim, president of the
Greater Flushing Chamber
of Commerce. “We’re finding
enthusiasm again, both
for ourselves and for others.
Everyone is fired up; generosity
is at an all-time high; and
social progress feels possible
again.”
The chamber noted the
Lunar New Year is traditionally
the most important
shopping season in Flushing,
with many mom-and-pop
stores, restaurants and local
business relying on the celebration
to boost sales and
generate revenue to survive
another year.
“Flushing is back!” said
John Choe, executive director
of the Greater Flushing
Chamber of Commerce. “The
Year of the Tiger will symbolize
the strength, resilience,
and rebirth of our community
as we emerge from the ravages
of COVID-19 and an epidemic
of anti-Asian violence.”
Additional reporting by
Paul Frangipane.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards (c.) speaks at a press conference on Thursday, Jan. 27,
ahead of the Flushing Lunar New Year Parade. Photos by Paul Frangipane
Deputy Inspector John O’Connell shares the details of this year’s
Flushing Lunar New Year Parade.
Flushing’s Lunar New Year parade was last held in 2020. Photo by Dean Moses
/NS.COM
