Braving the cold and the snow, many came out to celebrate this year’s Argyle Lunar New Year Celebration in Uptown. Families, children ,and friends gathered around on the crowded streets to watch over 30 different floats pass by, waving with cheery grins as lion dancers, panda bears and brightly-dressed Ajummas waved back.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot also made an appearance, later tweeting: “It was an honor to walk in the annual Argyle Lunar New Year Parade today. Snow and all, there’s no better way to kick off the Year of the Rabbit.”

The parade included appearances from the Vietnamese Association of Illinois, the Hip-Sing Association, the South East Asia Center, McCutcheon Elementary School, Swift Elementary School, Ajummas Rising, Chicago Asian Americans for Environmental Justice, the Hoang Phuc Lion Dance Association , and more. 

The celebration included “Lunar New Year Stories and Crafts” for kids at the Bezazian branch of the Chicago Public Library, and post-parade performances that began with Swift Elementary School students reciting Mandarin words to the crowd. 

The parade began with a 15-second moment of silence to remember those lost to the shooting earlier this year in Monterey Park, California. Although the parade was filled with celebration and happiness, many in the Asian American community will continue to grieve the tragic event.