Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens has already unveiled one of the most impressive exhibits, “Infinite Prosperity: The Year of the Dragon,” which will be on display through March 2. Driven by large-scale floral arrangements, the imagery captures the “rich tapestry of Asian architecture, folklore, and culture, with each element meticulously designed to symbolize the promise of a favorable new year,” the hotel described in a release. All of Caesars Entertainment’s resorts—including Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, and Nobu Hotel—will also be decked out, from hangers and banners to firecrackers.
The roars from the lion dances will rival those from the football fans at Allegiant Stadium February 11, with shows on February 10 at Palace Station and Durango, February 12 at Red Rock Casino and Green Valley Ranch, February 16 at The Cromwell, Flamingo Las Vegas, The LINQ Hotel + Experience, and Harrah’s Las Vegas, and February 17 at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Horseshoe Las Vegas, and Caesars Palace. Dragons will join lions for the dancing at Resorts World Las Vegas on February 10, ARIA on February 15, Bellagio on February 16, and MGM Grand on February 17.
Even the shopping center Fashion Show Las Vegas will get a new touch with musical lanterns from February 10 through 25. With all that prosperity in the air, perhaps a jackpot is also in the cards.
Philadelphia
Settled by Cantonese immigrants in the 19th century, Philadelphia’s Chinatown now represents cultures spanning from Fujianese, Sichuan, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Korean, Thai, Malaysian, Burmese, and Vietnamese.
The city’s own Philadelphia Suns lion dancing troupe anchors many of the celebrations, including a pair of parades. First they count down with a New Year’s Eve Midnight Parade that starts at 10 p.m. on February 9, followed by a daytime procession on February 11, starting at 11 a.m. The busy revelers also will perform at The Rail Park’s February 10 celebration and both Franklin Square and Dilworth Park’s February 17 festivities.
Landmarks in the birthplace of America all host their takes: The Philadelphia Museum of Art highlights Chinese culture in a February 11 event, where Chinese artisans from the Zhejiang province will host demos on sugar painting, rice sculptures, puppetry, and tea whisking, as well as invite visitors to make woodblock prints, while The Fashion District’s February 17 event includes a BalletSunMi show and K-pop dance lessons.
One favorite is the Dumpling Academy’s Chinese Lunar New Year Handmade Dumpling Making party, which also includes making sweet tangyuan and indulging in dim sum.
Greater Los Angeles Area
With about a third of all of the Asians in America living in the Golden State, the diaspora is spread out across the greater Los Angeles area. Chinatown, just north of downtown L.A., springs to life during the holiday, especially its historic center, where tens of thousands will line the streets on and around North Broadway and Hill Street on February 17 for the 125th Golden Dragon Parade, where the new Miss Los Angeles Chinatown will make her debut public appearance. The weekend of February 24 and 25, the streets become a racing zone for both runners and bikers—and even dog walkers—for the Firecracker 10K.
