It all starts with a colourful celebration at Honeysuckle on Saturday, February 13, to welcome the Chinese New Year.

Hot off the heels of last year’s successful inaugural event, which drew more than 10,000 people to the harbour, the Light Up Newcastle Lantern Walk is back, bigger and better than ever.

The event is jointly organised by 16 Rotary clubs across Newcastle to raise money for the Mission to Seafarers in Wickham, which aids visiting sailors with their health, banking, shopping and spiritual needs, and the Newcastle Maritime Centre.

This year the money will go towards an upgrade to the seafarers centre’s kitchen and help the maritime centre build a new public cafe on the harbour foreshore.

There is plenty in store for everyone, with dragon boat races, tug boat ballet, lion dancers and tai chi as well as paper folding and lantern making workshops for the kids.

The bumper line-up of entertainment, activities and demonstrations will be staged across Festival Square, harbour and Newcastle Museum.

As the sun sets, revellers can buy a lantern and join in the walk along the foreshore.

Fireworks will round out the evening with a bang at 9pm.

Deputy director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Newcastle, Jonathan Yi said he looked forward to the event.

“I hope everyone will join us for this year’s festive celebration at Light Up Newcastle,” he said.

“As the ties between China and our region grow stronger and stronger, events like this offer our community, especially young people, a window through which they can gain a better understanding of China.”