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Madison Avenue BID Lunar New Year Celebration 2016 – photo by Andrew Werner
The Madison Avenue Business Improvement District has banded its stores together to share exclusive red envelope deals in congruence with the Chinese Lunar New Year to celebrate the holiday.
Lion dancers will be performing throughout the street on Jan. 29 to welcome in the Chinese New Year for the second year in a row. Madison Avenue’s celebration hopes to attract families and tourists with a series of experiences and incentives to play on the Chinese tradition of red envelopes.
“Madison Street to Madison Avenue is unique among the city’s many special events because the business associations of four communities—Chinatown, East Midtown, Grand Central and Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side—partner with each other to bring the joyous celebration of the Lunar New Year to their retailers and their shoppers,” said Matthew Bauer, president of the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District.
Chinese celebration
It is customary in Chinese culture to present loved ones with a money gift inside a red envelope to celebrate occasions such as the New Year. For this year’s Chinese Lunar New Year, Madison Avenue will be sharing its own version of red envelopes at its retail stores throughout its celebration.
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Lion dancers from 2016
Visitors will get to witness a Lion Dance troupe, representing the tradition seen in the Chinatown parade, dancing from Madison Avenue from East 42nd street to East 86th Street. The celebration will take place on Jan. 29 to welcome in the year of the rooster.
The dancers will travel in a specially decorated trolley to various destinations along the street.
Luxury stores such as Giorgio Armani, David Yurman, De Beers and Michael Kors will feature select promotions, tea, alcoholic beverages, food and the red envelopes. The red envelopes will include prizes and gifts with purchases.
The Lowell New York and Ristorante Morini will participate with similar offerings, while Opera Gallery and Sundaram Tagore Gallery will hold private tours.
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De Beers Madison Avenue location
Madison Avenue’s celebration will also include heated tents along the way with activities such as Chinese face painting, calligraphy, paper cutting and a photo booth.
Other performances will include The New York Eastern Chamber Orchestra, Umbrella Juggler Lina Liu, a Chinese Opera performance from Confucius Institute for Chinese Opera at SUNY Binghamton University, Chinese Theatre Works traditional Chinese marionettes puppet show, a martial arts performance and music from FJ Music that will feature traditional Chinese music mixed with today’s hits.
Starting at 11 a.m. ET inside the Harman Store at 527 Madison Avenue, the celebration is being organized in partnership with Chinatown Partnership, East Midtown Partnership, Grand Central Partnership and SUNY’s Confucius Institute for Business.
Madison Avenue celebrations
Madison Avenue is known for its elaborate holiday celebrations. For instance, the Madison Avenue BID also touted the high street’s lure as the ideal destination for holiday gift seekers during the 30th annual Miracle on Madison event.
The day-long shopping event on Dec. 3 saw the participation of more than 80 retailers and businesses found on Madison Avenue between 57th and 86th Streets. Madison Avenue BID’s Miracle on Madison also had a charitable component, which may have driven sales for the storefronts located on the high street as many consumers may have been inclined to give back during the holiday season (see more).
“Our member businesses have each developed their own in-store programming to extend the good tidings of the season to their clients, and the playful lion dancers making their way north on Madison Avenue bring a smile to all visiting our respective neighborhoods that day,” Mr. Bauer said.
By Brielle Jaekel Courtesy Luxury Daily