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Chinese New Year parade in Vancouver to draw 100,000 spectators

Lion dances, marching bands and martial arts performances will be a big part of Vancouver's Chinese New Year parade set to take place Sunday at 11 a.m. PT.

It's the 43rd time the parade will make its way through the streets of Vancouver's Chinatown.

The event is one of the largest non-commercial annual parades in Vancouver and features the largest assembly of traditional lion dance teams in Canada according to organizers.

The parade will feature 70 entries, meaning 3,000 dancers will perform along the 1.3-kilometre route which begins at the Millenium Gate at Carrall and East Pender streets, turns south onto Gore, then west onto Keefer, and ends at where Keefer and Carrall intersect.

Organizers say up to 100,000 spectators will watch the parade, which will take about 2-1/2 hours to complete.

Road closures

The following road closures, in addition to the parade route, are in effect 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 closures coincide with the Womens' Memorial March, which will shut down Hastings Street between 11:00 a.m. PT and 2:30 p.m. PT Sunday.

Vancouver police say that with these two events, Main Street will be shut down on Sunday to all vehicles between 10:30 a.m. PT and 2:30 p.m. PT.

There are also road closures in downtown Vancouver related to Pacific Road Runners Half Marathon, some of which begin at 5:30 a.m. PT.