Photo of a rabbit with a hanging lantern on a colored background. Happy Chinese New Year

THIS WEEKEND IN CHICAGO – It’s Happy Lunar New Year Time!

Photo of a rabbit with a hanging lantern on a colored background. Happy Chinese New Year

Chicagoans will bid adieu to this last weekend of January by welcoming in the Lunar New Year of 2023!  Come out and join us as we celebrate The Rabbit!!

Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar.  This year celebrates the Rabbit!  Here are a few events you might like to visit:

Come enjoy performances of local performers, artists, dance, traditional and contemporary music, food vendors, and much more at Global Connections:  Lunar New Year this Saturday (1 p.m.-5 p.m.) at Navy Pier’s Aon Grand Ballroom (600 E. Grand Ave.) in the Streeterville neighborhood.  This year’s celebration takes you through the lens of AAPI cultures highlighting the next generation of Asian Americans with featured performances, additional K Pop performances, and much more!

The Uptown neighborhood’s annual Argyle Lunar New Year Celebration kicks off the Year of the Rabbit with dazzling dragons, drummers, and more this Saturday (12 p.m.-4 p.m.).  The parade will begin at 1 p.m. at Argyle Street and Winthrop Avenue then heads west on Argyle, north on Broadway, east on Winona, and south on Sheridan back to Argyle.  The parade will not be proceeding down Ainslie this year due to construction.  Over 20+ local community groups, cultural institutions, dancers, and performers will be in attendance as well as plenty of family-friendly activities for all to enjoy!

Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit in Chinatown at the neighborhood’s Lunar New Year Parade this Sunday from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. at 24th Street and Wentworth Avenue which will travel north on Wentworth to the viewing stand at Cermak Road.  The parade will feature traditional dragon and lion dancing teams, colorful decorated floats, marching bands, and marching groups.  Plus, red lanterns symbolizing good fortune will be strewn above and along Chinatown’s Wentworth Avenue, while local businesses will be decorated with pictures and signs depicting rabbits!

Enjoy a day of Disney magic at the United Center (1901 W. Madison St.) on the Near West Side as Disney on Ice Presents:  Frozen & Encanto, which wraps-up its stay at the United Center this weekend.  Kids of all ages will be delighted by ice skating performances by their favorite characters!  Plus, you can purchase a character experience that includes crafting and interactive time with Elsa from Frozen and Mirabel from Encanto!!

Winter is the best time to warm the cockles of your heart at this year’s Mac & Cheese Crawl this Saturday (11 a.m.-7 p.m.) at various locations in Wrigleyville.  Tickets include admission to all bars on the crawl and 7 free mac & cheese servings along with drink specials, giveaways, and more!  It’s time to get your fill of those delicious, heart-warming cheesy noodles!!

Oh Boy, we’re down to the last four teams before the Big Game!  Here’s your NFL Conference Championship line-up for this Sunday:  49ers (13-4) at Eagles (14-3) (2:00 p.m.) and Bengals (12-4) at Chiefs (14-3) (5:30 p.m.).  Will there be any upsets by the underdogs?  We’ll have to wait and see!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago