QUEENS, NY – In celebration of the spirit of Lunar New Year, Borough President Melinda Katz today announced she is holding a photo contest in which individuals will be invited to submit photos that best encapsulate the holiday.

“Lunar New Year is a joyous event in which hundreds of thousands of Queens residents recognize their heritage and celebrate with friends and family,” said Borough President KATZ. “It is therefore most fitting for us to offer people a chance to participate in a photo contest that will encourage people to capture their celebration experience stating “The Year of the Rooster.”

The contest is being co-sponsored by Sinovision, the Flushing Chinese Business Association and the Forest Hills Asian Association.

This year the celebration of Lunar New Year began on January 28, 2017. Celebrations of Lunar New Year traditionally take place over 15 days.

The photo contest is open to anyone of high school age or older and will call upon entrants to submit photos that address this theme:  “What does Lunar New Year mean in Queens?”

Photo submissions are encouraged to reflect the personal Lunar New Year experiences of entrants, such as attendance at a Lunar New Year parade, the enjoyment of a traditional Lunar New Year meal, or the viewing of Lunar New Year decorations in your local neighborhood.

The contest will be divided into two categories, one for high school students and the other for adults. The winner of each category will receive a $100 cash award that will be presented during Borough President Katz’s Lunar New Year celebration, which will be held Monday, February 27, 2017 at 6 p.m. in the Helen Marshall Cultural Center at Queens Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Boulevard, Kew Gardens.

Representatives from Borough President Katz’s office and from the contest co-sponsors will be judging the contest.

Each entrant’s photo for the must be submitted, along with a copy of the contest entry form, by February 15, 2017 at 5 PM. Contest winners will be notified of their wins by February 21, 2017.

Contestants can submit their entries and fill out the appropriate entry form by visiting www.queensbp.org/lnyphotocontest

The following contest rules also apply:

  1. Each entrant is only allowed to submit one photo
  2. Each entrant must be the actual photographer of the photo being entered.
  3. Each entry must include an appropriate caption
  4. The submitted photos cannot include any text on them