Barrington students walk in Chinese Lunar New Year Parade in Chicago

Students in the Chinese Immersion program run by Barrington Area Unit School District 220 were able to be a part of the local Chinese culture on Sunday when they marched in the annual Chinese Lunar New Year parade in Chicago's Chinatown.

Despite snowy weather, about 50 students, parents, teachers and administrators from the program made the trip to the city to march along the parade route.

"It was so much fun. There were so many people and everybody was cheering and it was fabulous," said Shelby Elias, the parent of two children in the program. "Everybody was so welcoming and glad to have us there."

Elias said she thought of asking if the program could participate in the parade after she attended it for the first time last year. Parade organizers were happy to have them there and the children enjoyed being part of it, she said.

"For them to be there during one of the biggest events in Chinese culture and to see them celebrate that, you don't get better exposure than that," Elias said. "We will absolutely do it again next year. We figure the weather can't be any worse!"