Navy Pier in Chicago launches 2025 Global Connections Series with Lunar New Year festivities

CHICAGO (WLS) — The first free event of Navy Pier’s 2025 Global Connection Series is slated to celebrate Lunar New Year on Saturday.

A vibrant Lunar New Year celebration is coming to the pier’s Aon Grand Ballroom in honor of the Year of the Snake. The event will be filled with lively performances, music, art, and interactive, family-friendly activities, providing Chicagoans with a unique opportunity to partake in traditions that are cherished by billions of people worldwide. Global Connections sponsors for this event include ComEd and the Sue Ling Gin Foundation Trust.

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Mark Noffke from the Sue Ling Gin Foundation Trust expressed excitement about supporting this festive Lunar New Year celebration. He emphasized the importance of honoring the deep-rooted traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation. Noffke noted that the Lunar New Year is not only culturally significant for many individuals, but it also serves as a unifying experience that brings people together to celebrate joy, unity, and reflection.

While the Lunar New Year celebration is most commonly associated with Chinese Americans in the United States, it is a festive occasion observed by numerous cultures across Asia and the Middle East. The festivities typically coincide with the first new moon of the respective calendars in these regions. The Year of the Snake, in particular, is symbolic of traits such as wisdom, transformation, and resilience.

Community partners scheduled to participate in this year’s Lunar New Year celebration at Navy Pier include the Chinese Fine Arts Society, Chicago Loves Chinatown, Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago, Filipino American Historical Society of Chicago, Thai Cultural and Fine Arts Institute, Helixx Crew K-Pop dancers, Soul Power Band, and CMAA (Chinese Mutual Aid Association).