Join Us for Chinese New Year, Firecracker Ceremony & Cultural Fest (Sat Feb 10)

Details
Let's meet, discuss this photo shoot, have a great time exploring the exciting photo ops around Chinatown, and then reconnect afterwards for a hot beverage and something sweet!

The annual firecracker ceremony will kick off the Lunar New Year festivities in Chinatown. During the ceremony, hundreds of thousands of loud/sparkly firecrackers will be lit to ward off evil spirits. Celebrants will wear red and gold. Giant dragons will dance to drums and cymbals. There will be culture (martial arts, crafts, music, and Chinese dancers in multicolor costumes) and vendors of Chinese food at Sara D. Roosevelt Park at Grand Street in the Lower East Side.

Photo Opportunities

• The ceremony itself will have the firecrackers as well as lion dances and dragon performances.
• Tons of people and food at the cultural festival making great opportunities for street photography.
• Most of the streets in the main parts of Chinatown around Mott Street are shutdown, so it's pretty easy to get in close to these performances.

Post-Event
For those of you who would like to join us after the event, at approximately 1:15, we will meet at Spongies Cafe located at 121 Baxter Street.

Meeting Location/Event Hosts
We’ll meet one block north in Sara D Roosevelt Park at Broome Street. Your host and co-host will be Nick Wong and Doug Caroli. Nick will be wearing a black baseball cap with bright green bill and YS on the front. Please try to arrive around 10:45 AM to say hello and discuss the shoot.

Nearby Subway Stations
Grand St - B,D
East Broadway - F
Delancey Street - F,M,J,Z
Canal Street - N,Q,R,W,J,Z,6

PHOTO CHALLENGE
Once this Meetup event ends, we will create an album on the Photos page. Please post up to five (5) of your best photographs from the event before 7 PM (ET) on Thursday, February 14th.

Eligible photos:

• Must be taken on Saturday, Feb 10th, 2024 in the Chinatown area
• Must be posted before the deadline
• Must have a title
• Must NOT be sexually explicit or suggestive

This album will be judged. The winning image will become the permanent album cover of the event. The name of the winning photographer will appear in the album title.

Learn How to Improve Your Photography

Don't forget to sign up for our free "Learn How to Improve Your Photography" online event series. We invite you to submit one (1) of your Lunar New Year Photo Shoot/Firecracker Ceremony photos (or other photos) and participate in our supportive review.

We welcome your participation and look forward to meeting you around 10:45 am at the park.