On Feb. 8, Torontonians will come together to celebrate Chinese New Year. This year is officially the Year of the Monkey, and although one might suspect celebrations to be limited to Chinatown along Spadina Avenue, we’ve got you covered for all of the GTA’s many Chinese cultural areas.

Beyond the city limits, and into the neighbourhoods spread out across the GTA, is where some of the most enjoyable Chinese New Year celebrations can be found.

The community in Agincourt is one. Nearby, in Market Village, at 4394 Steeles Ave., the celebrations, running Feb. 5 to 7, include traditional Chinese drumming, dance and martial arts performances as well as the lion dance. 

There is also a massive Chinese community in Markham north of Steeles, near Kennedy Road, with a thriving Chinatown district along the Highway 7 corridor in Richmond Hill.

In Markham, Chinese New Year celebrations begin on Jan. 30 and culminate in a massive lion dance performance at Pacific Mall on Feb. 13. There is also a Lunar Festival Celebration slated for the Markham Pan Am Centre on Feb. 5 to 7.

For those looking to stay in the core, there is a massive celebration slated for the Spadina Avenue area in Chinatown proper. 

There is also a full slate of activities at Harbourfront Centre to celebrate Lunar New Year on Feb. 20 and 21 including an Asian arts and culture showcase and a lot of monkey business. Ahem.