Persistent snow and rain did nothing to dampen the Lunar New Year spirit in Chinatown on the weekend.
The Lunar New Year fell on Friday but the celebrations of food, song and dance extended through the weekend.
The core of the festivities took place at Dragon City Mall and Chinatown Centre.

Construction worker Gordy Leong puts aside his hard hat for a different role Saturday: the group’s flag-bearer. Despite the snow and rain, he was all smiles as he carried a flagpole almost twice his height and trudged on through the slush, leading the group to each store along Spadina Avenue. Leong said it takes them over four hours to complete their journey through Chinatown.

The lion reaches for a red packet, bundled in lettuce leaves, hanging in front of King’s Noodles Restaurant. The leaves were later cast out by the dancers to symbolize the spreading of wealth. The red packet, which contains money, is a symbol of the Lunar New Year and its contents are kept by the group as a donation.