Celebrate Year of the Fire Monkey 2016 in Squirrel Hill!

Ushering in 2016–Year of the Red Fire Monkey!
Family-friendly, free to the public!

Lunar New Year began in China more than 4,000 years ago and is widely celebrated in East and Southeast Asia. The Asian diaspora has expanded the festivities into an annual worldwide event, celebrated by millions of Asian Americans, and by many non-Asian Americans, in the United States. This February, Squirrel Hill and the Chinese community of greater Pittsburgh invite all Pittsburghers for a two-week celebration of Lunar New Year 2016—the Year of the Fire Monkey. We will ring in the Lunar New Year with free cultural performances, demonstrations in Asian arts and crafts–a parade!– and a taste of authentic flavors from Squirrel Hill’s acclaimed Asian restaurants and eateries.

Free Public Events:

LUNAR NEW YEAR KICK-OFF FESTIVAL

Saturday Feb 6th, 1pm-5pm

Jewish Cultural Center in Squirrel Hill (5738 Forbes Avenue, Pittsbugh, PA 15217)

The celebration begins with an afternoon filled with live performances by Pittsburgh Steel Dragon acrobatic lion dance team, Pittsburgh Taiko Drummers, the Organization of Chinese Americans Cultural Youth Dance Ensemble, OCA Tzu Chi Academy, Pittsburgh Chinese School, Silk Elephant Thai dancers, Oom Yung Doe Martial Arts, and the Yanlai Dance Academy. We will hear Chinese musical instrumentalists Ai-Lin Chen on the Guzheng, Yanshen Jiang on the Hulusi, and acclaimed students from Lydia Music Center!

There will also be Arts and Crafts demonstrations and tabling including Origami folding, Japan and Lunar New Year through the Ages and regions, Chinese astrology coloring and dragon mask making; Chinese dumpling-making; paper-lantern creation; Chinese Calligraphy and painting!

Earlier in the day, Steel Dragon lion dancers will be visiting and “blessing” individual shops and restaurants in the Squirrel Hill business district. See if you can catch the lions devouring new year’s treats like favorites lettuce and mandarin oranges!

YEAR OF THE MONKEY LUNAR NEW YEAR PARADE

Sunday, February 21st, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Murray Avenue/Squirrel Hill Commercial District

Murray Avenue from Darlington Street to Philips Avenue) will be closed from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. for the Lunar New Year Parade, starting at 11 a.m. Featuring stunning costumes, music, Allderdice High School marching band and traditional Chinese and Thai Dragons, the parade will begin at Douglas Street and Murray Avenue, and wend its way up the hill and end before Forbes and Murray Avenue.

Over 300 participants from the various organizations will be in the parade, and they are:

Allderdice High School Marching Band

Pittsburgh Academy of Chinese Culture and Language

Organization of Chinese Americans, Youth division

Nan Gong Cheongsam Group

Yanlai Dance Academy

University of PITT CSSA

Duquesne University CSSA

Pittsburgh Chinese School Choirs Group

Good Days Dancing Group

Steel Dragon School of Martial Arts

Pittsburgh Chinese Academy

Tzu Chi Academy

Win-Win Kung Fu Cultural Center

Black Mountain Spirit School of Chinese Kung Fu

Haihua Youth Orchestra

UPitt Chinese faculty team

Peking University Alumni Association of Greater Pittsburgh

CMU Chinese Studies Program

Chatham University CSSA

Hampton Township School District

Pittsburgh Chinese Restaurant Association

Dignitaries including:

Councilman Corey O’Connor

Concilman Dan Gilman

Debra Lam, Chief of Innovation and Technology for City of Pittsburgh

State Senator Jay Costa

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald

Police Commander of District: Daniel Hermann

Betty Cruz, Pittsburgh City’s Special Projects Manager including Welcoming Pittsburgh

Parade Grand Marshal Dr. Freddie Fu (傅浩強)

Dr. Freddie Fu has been an instrumental part of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine for several decades. A Hong Kong native, Dr. Fu came to Pittsburgh in 1975 to attend University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and joined the Pitt faculty as an assistant professor in 1982. Currently, he is the David Silver Professor and chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is known worldwide for his pioneering surgical techniques to treat sports-related injuries. He also was instrumental in the establishment of the renowned UPMC Sports Performance Complex. Partly designed by Dr. Fu, the complex also houses the indoor and outdoor training facilities of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as treatment room especially built for the dancers of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

Dr. Fu has not only been one of Pittsburgh’s most influential practitioners of sports medicine, he is also incredibly supportive of the greater Pittsburgh community, volunteering his time and expertise to multiple groups and organizations across the city. He has been recognized as one of the most influential Pittsburghers of the 20th century by Pittsburgh Magazine and had been granted multiple honorary degrees by universities across the nation. Married to Hilda Pang Fu, they have 2 children and 4 grandchildren. We are honored that Dr. Fu agreed to be the grand marshal in our inaugural Lunar New Year Parade!

PASSPORT TO ASIAN EATS

February 6 – 21, 2016

During the two week celebration, participating Squirrel Hill restaurants and cafes will offer a 10% discount via the “passport to Asian Eats” program.

LUNAR NEW YEAR AND THE CARNEGIE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Wednesday, Feb 10 – Children’s Celebration, 4:15pm
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Squirrel Hill, 5801 Forbes Avenue

Celebrate the year of the monkey through crafts and activities. For children in grades K-5.

Tuesday, Feb 16 – Teen Time Celebration, 3pm
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Squirrel Hill, 5801 Forbes Avenue

Celebrate the year of the monkey through crafts and activities. For students in grades 6-12.

We thank our partners and organizations who have made this celebration possible! They include Uncover Squirrel Hill; Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center; Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Pittsburgh; Organization of Chinese Americans, Pittsburgh chapter; Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh; NextGen:Pgh; Pittsburgh Chinese School; Confucius Institute at the University of Pittsburgh; Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh; University of Pittsburgh Asian Studies Center, and Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania.