International Balloon Parade will debut in Shenzhen this weekend.

    MH Mall at Mission Hills Centreville will play host to the first Cultural Tourism Festival for Longhua New Area. Preluding this event is the inaugural International Balloon Parade, a highly anticipated event that will take place Dec. 26-Jan. 3.

    The International Balloon Parade was inspired by the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade that takes place every Thanksgiving in New York City, where Macy’s Department Store has organized this colorful spectacle for close to a century, making it one of New York’s most iconic Thanksgiving events, each year attracting over 3.5 million people onto the streets of New York while over 50 million more watch the parade live on TV.

    In recent years, other cities across the globe have emulated this event with their own version of the parade, and now Mission Hills is introducing this colorful event to China. Shenzhen’s International Balloon Parade will consist of three segments — the balloon parade, a carnival parade and finally, stationed performances, during which a friendly Santa Claus and several well-loved cartoon characters will begin roaming the venue to meet the crowd and add to the festive mood.

    The event will begin with a presentation of larger-than-life floating balloons, followed by a carnival parade of live music and dance performances, and during the third phase, live performances will continue at designated stations while audiences have the chance to explore and take photos. The event promises to be an unforgettable display of performance art, drawing young and old from across the city of Shenzhen to join this day of fun and celebration.

    The venue also features a variety of renowned dining and recreational facilities, where visitors may enjoy special offers and promotions while experiencing the cultural highlights of Longhua New Area.

    Meanwhile, a show featuring original music will also be held at the Mission Hills Mall on Saturday night. American band Sleep Walkers, local bands Green Bus, Mars and Blog Group will bring their original music to the show.

    Sleep Walkers is a band whose song writing is based on the American tradition while simultaneously drawing upon the unique tastes of its international members. Songwriters Chris Marin and Clifford Johnson’s roots encompass the flavors of funk, soul, blues, country, jazz and rock and roll. They have all played together in various forms over a two-year period and have recently consolidated the members in order to bring a more complete sound. They play in clubs all over Guangzhou as well as at music festivals and functions all over Guangdong.

    Dates: Dec. 26-Jan. 3

    Venue: Mission Hills Centreville, 1 Mission Hills Road, Longhua New Area (龙华新区观澜湖路1号观澜湖新城)

    Metro: Longhua Line, Qinghu Station (清湖站), Exit A, then take a taxi (fare would be 70-80 yuan) or bus M338(Windy Shao)