Vancouver's Lunar New Year parade celebrates 45 years

Lion dances, marching bands and martial arts troupes will all be part of the Lunar New Year parade in Vancouver, which takes place Sunday at 11 a.m. PT.

Organizers say the parade has 70 entries, with more than 3,000 participants from community and cultural groups.

The Lunar New Year, which is celebrated in many Asian countries, follows the Lunisolar calendar and occurs on the first day of the lunar month.

In 2018, the Lunar New Year was on Feb. 16, with celebrations taking place for up to 15 days.

• 36 Vancouver artists are putting an eye-popping spin on a Lunar New Year tradition

The 45th version of Vancouver's parade celebrates the Year of the Dog in the Chinese Lunar calendar.

Organizers of Sunday's parade says it has the largest assembly of traditional lion dance teams in Canada.

Dancers, dressed in ornate lion costumes, perform to bring good luck and fortune.

The parade route is 1.3 km long and begins at the Millennium Gate on Pender Street — between Shanghai Alley and Taylor Street.

It then runs east along Pender Street, turns south on Gore Street, turns west on Keefer Street and ends on Keefer at Abbott.

Vancouver police are asking people to use transit or carpool to the site and be patient due to expected crowds.

Organizers say they hope to have as little traffic disruption in the area as possible, but the following road closures around the parade route are expected from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT:

• Pender from Cambie to Carrall.
• Beatty from Dunsmuir to Pender.
• Keefer between Carrall and Abbott.
• Carrall from Keefer to Pender.

The parade is part of Vancouver and Richmond's Lunar New Year Festival.