It begins with sound.
The sharp percussion of firecrackers ricocheting off Broadway. The steady drumbeat guiding a lion dance through Chinatown. Children clutch red envelopes as grandparents lean in to explain why this year belongs to the Horse.
Los Angeles knows how to gather. During Lunar New Year, it gathers with memory.
What began as a neighborhood observance has expanded into something broader. From the historic streets of Chinatown to Koreatown and the waterfront in San Pedro, the holiday now unfolds across a city that increasingly recognizes it as part of its civic rhythm.
A Tradition That Endures
The 127th Annual Golden Dragon Parade remains one of the most enduring anchors of Lunar New Year in Los Angeles. Drawing more than 100,000 spectators, it stands among the oldest and largest celebrations of its kind in the United States.
Along the parade route this year, the spectacle was layered with intimacy. A father lifted his daughter onto his shoulders so she would not miss the lion dancers. Elder residents waved gently as floats passed. Teenagers recorded the procession on their phones, preserving tradition in real time.
The parade persists because it functions as more than performance. It is continuity in motion.
Beyond a Single Neighborhood
In recent years, Lunar New Year in Los Angeles has expanded beyond a single neighborhood.
City supported programming now spans multiple districts, reflecting the diversity of Asian communities across the region. Celebrations highlight Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese traditions. Contemporary performances share space with traditional dances. Food markets operate alongside storytelling workshops and family art activities.
The result is not a singular narrative but a layered one, distinct cultural expressions held side by side within a shared civic frame.
At the Waterfront
At the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, tradition met the harbor’s industrial skyline. A lion dance wound through families gathered near the water as container ships rested in the distance. Later, a drone show illuminated the evening sky before firecrackers briefly pierced the dark.
For some attendees, it was their first public Lunar New Year celebration. For others, it echoed memories of childhood observances in Guangzhou, Seoul or Ho Chi Minh City. A mother explained why red symbolizes good fortune. A grandfather paused during the drums, absorbed in the rhythm.
The Year of the Horse is associated with energy and forward movement. Along the waterfront, a gateway shaped by migration and exchange, the symbolism felt quietly apt.
Participation Over Spectacle
It would be easy to focus only on color and choreography. What stood out instead was participation.
Small business owners decorated storefronts in red and gold. Volunteers handed out programs and directed crowds. Children learned how to hold drumsticks or fold paper lanterns under the careful guidance of elders.
Public recognition carries weight. For communities that preserved these traditions within homes and community halls for decades, visible civic celebration signals belonging. The traditions are not new. Their broader acknowledgment is.
The Organizers Behind the Legacy
At the center of the Golden Dragon Parade stands the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles, the institution that has guided the celebration for generations. Its role extends well beyond event planning. The chamber has served as steward, advocate and cultural intermediary, ensuring the parade endures through shifting political and economic landscapes.
Mamie Hong Weinberg, the parade chair and a vice president of the chamber, was born and raised in Chinatown. Her connection to the event is civic but also personal. Over decades of involvement, she has worked with merchants, elders and city officials to sustain the parade as both celebration and community touchstone.
Working alongside her is Scarlett Yen, the parade manager, who oversees the operational complexity that allows hundreds of performers, cultural organizations, elected officials and volunteers to move through historic streets with precision. Street closures, security coordination and broadcast logistics unfold quietly behind the scenes.
This year’s procession was led by Grand Marshal Eugene Moy, a cultural figure whose appointment reflects the parade’s tradition of honoring community leaders. The event’s visibility was amplified by broadcast partner ABC7 Los Angeles, and supported by sponsors including Cathay Bank, underscoring how local media and business institutions help elevate the parade’s reach beyond Chinatown.
This year also marked the chamber president’s 20th year helping lead the annual parade, a milestone that reflects sustained institutional memory and long-term commitment rather than ceremonial leadership.
The parade receives support from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and is carried by major broadcast partners, illustrating how a community-rooted tradition now occupies visible civic space.
The spectacle lasts a day. The stewardship continues year round.
What Remains After the Drums
When lanterns dim and stages are dismantled, the imprint remains. Photographs circulate. Videos capture midair leaps of lion dancers. Families return home carrying red envelopes and stories that will be retold next year.
Lunar New Year in Los Angeles has become more than an annual festival. It functions as a recalibration, a moment when the city acknowledges the cultures that shaped it and continue to define it.
As the final drumbeat fades into the evening air, what remains is neither spectacle nor ceremony alone. Tradition here is visible, evolving and woven into the civic fabric of Los Angeles.
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