Plans for the Chinese New Year Parade

The Washington Post reports this morning that the planners of the Chinese New Year Parade have plans - big plans.  "Like Macy's" plans.

The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA), an umbrella organization representing thirty Chinese-American organizations has hosted the parade for the last 38 years, and usually, the parade is pretty low key - and low budget.  Last year's budget was only $23,000, but for the first time in its 38 year history, the parade is now accepting sponsors.  And in fact, the CCBA already has signed Verizon and Utz on as sponsors of the event.

This year seems to be apropos for kicking the parade into high gear. Lunar year 4710 is the Year of the Dragon, "the mightiest of the signs," per the CCBA.  "Dragons symbolize dominance and ambition."

The parade starts at 2pm on Sunday, January 29th and follows this route:

Right now, the website for the parade says they expect "over 40,000" in attendance, and that the "parade will also be televised to 40 million nationwide."  Of course, the TV audience gets an asterisk: "actual viewership subject to change."  Indeed - even if they can pull of a parade "like Macy's," Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade only got 22.4 million viewers this year.