New Year Celebrations

Chinese New Year falls on Tuesday, February 5, 2019

It begins the year 4717 on the Chinese calendar, the year of the pig.

Check back for information about Chinese New Year (also called the Lunar New Year) celebrations, parades, and fireworks in each of the cities below. We typically update this page in early January, but sometimes we don’t have information for specific cities until just a few weeks before the event.

In 2020, Chinese New Year will fall on Saturday, January 25.

Be sure to bookmark this page for next year!

United States

Boston

Lion Dance Parade

Sunday, February 17, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

Beach Street and other nearby streets in Chinatown

A traditional celebration featuring martial artists, brightly colored Chinese costumes worn by lion dancers, and traditional food and music.

Cultural Village – Two Locations

Sunday, February 17, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Phillips Square
Sunday, February 17, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm

China Trade Building at the corner of Boylston and Washington Streets
Free fun activities – calligraphy, dough characters, origami, balloons, and more!

Learn more about Boston Chinatown!

Chicago

Chinese Lunar New Year Dinner

Friday, February 15, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm ($85)

Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, 2100 S Archer Avenue

Marching bands, floats, dragon and lion dance performers, and a 100-foot paper dragon. Arrive early… the parade draws more than 30,000 visitors.

Chinese Lunar New Year Parade

Sunday, February 10, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Chinatown Gate (Wentworth Avenue at 24th Avenue)

Marching bands, floats, dragon and lion dance performers, and a 100-foot paper dragon. Arrive early… the parade draws more than 30,000 visitors.

Learn more about Chicago Chinatown!

Honolulu

Night in Chinatown Street Festival

Saturday, February 2, 8:00 am – 9:30 pm

Festival along the streets of Maunakea, River, and Pauahi Streets; parade starts at Richards and Hotel Streets, and proceeds down Hotel to Smith Street.

The festival features food, crafts, martial arts demonstrations, lion and dragon dancers, and entertainment on three stages. Sponsored by the Chinatown Merchants Association.

Enjoy the food booths and the plethora of entertainment at 3 stages this year!

Lunar New Year Parade

Saturday, February 2, 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Parade starts at Merchant and Hotel Streets, and proceeds down Hotel to River Street.

Learn more about Honolulu, Oahu Chinatown!

Houston

Lunar New Year Celebration

Saturday, February 9, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday, February 10, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Viet Hoa Center, 8388 W. Sam Houston Parkway South

Music, food, vendors, face painting, lion and dragon dancers, and fun!

Los Angeles

Annual Golden Dragon Parade

Saturday, February 9, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

North Broadway and Alpine Street

The Golden Dragon Parade is the premiere Chinese cultural event in Southern California and draws over 100,000 spectators and participants. The parade has been an annual event since 1898.

It features marching bands, lion and dragon dancers, performers, and over two dozen floats.

Learn more about Los Angeles Chinatown!

New York / Manhattan

New Year Firecracker Ceremony & Cultural Festival

Tuesday, February 5, 11:00 am – 3:30 pm

Sara D Roosevelt Park

A large stage will feature all-day cultural performances by traditional and contemporary Asian-American singers and dancers, as well as a firecracker explosion intended to ward off evil spirits.

Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade & Festival

Sunday, February 17, 1:00 pm

Chinatown Lower Manhattan.

Parade route: Mott & Canal to Chatham Square to East Broadway towards the Manhattan Bridge, completing on Eldridge and Forsyth Streets towards Grand Street next to Sara D. Roosevelt Park.

The parade features elaborate floats, marching bands, lion and dragon dancers, Asian musicians, and acrobats, with over 5,000 participants. There parade terminates at 3:00 pm in Sara D Roosevelt Park, where there will be additional performances.

For information on New York Chinatown events, visit the Better Chinatown website.

Learn more about New York / Manhattan Chinatown!

Oakland

Lunar New Year Bazaar

Saturday, January 26, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday, January 27, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

9th & Franklin Streets & Pacific Renaissance Plaza

The event features vendors selling traditional new year decorations, flowers, gifts, and traditional foods and candies. There will also be continuous live entertainment featuring dragon and lion dancing, martial arts, a Little Prince & Princess Contest, and Chinese cultural music.

Learn more about Oakland Chinatown!

Philadelphia

(No event information available)

Learn more about Philadelphia Chinatown!

Sacramento

Chinese New Year Celebration

Saturday, February 9, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Hiram W. Johnson High School, 6879 14th Avenue, Sacramento

Gala celebration featuring lion dancers, martial arts, ethnic entertainment, arts and crafts, community exhibits, food vendors, children’s games. Sponsored by the Chinese New Year Culture Association.

San Francisco

Chinese New Year Parade

Saturday, February 23, 5:15 pm – 8:00 pm

Second and Market to Chinatown – see the Parade route. Please note that spectators begin to line up along the parade route several hours in advance.

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce has hosted a New Years Parade each year since 1958. The parade features over 100 floats and marching units, performers, firecrackers, and a 200-foot Chinese Dragon. It is the largest Chinese New Years celebration outside of Asia, and it has been named one of the top 100 parades in the world.

Learn more about San Francisco Chinatown!

Seattle

Chinatown Lunar New Year Celebration

Saturday, February 9, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Hing Hay Park and surrounding streets (Seattle’s Chinatown-International District)

Lion and Dragon Dances, Taiko Drumming, face painting, martial arts demonstrations, traditional food, and the Annual Children’s Parade Contest. Presented by the Chinatown-International District.

Learn more about Seattle Chinatown!

Canada

Calgary

Chinese New Year Festival

Saturday, January 26, 11:00 am – 6:30 pm
Sunday,January 27, 11:00 am – 6:30 pm
Saturday, February 2, 11:00 am – 6:30 pm
Sunday, February 3, 11:00 am – 6:30 pm

Chinese Cultural Centre

Dragon and lion dance performers, martial arts demonstrations, traditional music and dance, plus food, games, and an indoor bazaar selling gifts and festival items. Over 20,000 visitors are expected.

Learn more about Calgary Chinatown!

Edmonton

Lunar Night Market

Saturday, January 9, 7:00 pm – 1:00 am

Shaw Conference Center,9797 Jasper Avenue NW

Celebrate the year of the pig by walking the night market full of vendors selling authentic food, fun beverages, and diverse products, such as gadgets, decorations and toys; all the while enjoying our cultural performers and a DJ to end the night.

Learn more about Edmonton Chinatown!

Ottawa

Winterlude – Chinatown’s Special Lunar New Year Celebration

Saturday, February 16, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Somerset Street from Preston to Bay

King of Good Fortune, Chinese Drummers, Zodiac Animals, 108 Special Gifts

The King of Good Fortune will give away lucky red envelops with his best wishes to children whom he will meet in Chinatown. Among the red envelops there will be 108 special gifts from various Chinatown merchants for the even luckier winners!

Learn more about Ottawa Chinatown!

Toronto

Chinese New Year Celebrations

Saturday, February 9, 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Sunday, February 10, 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Dragon City Mall (280 Spadina Ave.) and
Chinatown Center (222 Spadina Ave.)

Lion Dancers, fortune telling, traditional games, food, and activities.

Learn more about Toronto Chinatown!

Vancouver

Chinese New Year Parade and Festival

Sunday, February 10, 11:00 am – 1:30 pm

Parade route: Starts at Millennium Gate on Pender Street (between Shanghai Alley and Taylor Street), proceeds east along Pender Street, turns south onto Gore Street, turns west onto Keefer Street and then disperses on Keefer at Abbott.

The celebration will include traditional Lion Dancers, cultural dance troupes, marching bands, and martial arts demonstrations. For details visit the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association website.

Learn more about Vancouver Chinatown!

Victoria

Lion Dance Parade

Sunday, February 10, 12:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Parade starts at the Gate of Harmonious Interest

The colorful Lion Dance Parade winds through Chinatown. This familiy-friendly event is hosted by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association.

Learn more about Victoria Chinatown!

Worldwide

London, England

Chinese New Year Parade

Sunday, February 10, 10:00 am

Charing Cross Road to Chinatown

Floats, Chinese lion and dragon dance teams, local artists, food and craft stalls. The biggest Lion and Dragon event in Europe!

Chinese New Year Celebration

Sunday, February 10, 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Trafalgar Square

Main stage performances, featuring traditional Chinese dance and music shows, contemporary hip-hop acts and an exciting line-up of artists from China. Don’t miss the pyrotechnic display which lights up Trafalgar Square to mark the end of the festivities.

Cultural Activities

Sunday, February 10, 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

• Cultural activities and family-friendly performances, including calligraphy, Chinese music, dressing up in traditional outfits and more in the Leicester Square family zone
• Enjoy Chinese food zones at Trafalgar Square and Chinatown Restaurants
• Martial arts performances in the Shaftesbury Avenue martial arts and culture zone
• Spot up-and-coming British-Chinese artists on the New Talent stage, hosted by Spectrum Chinese radio, in the Charing Cross Road community zone.
• Visit crafts stalls in Chinatown

Learn more about London Chinatown!

Sydney, Australia

Here are a few of the more than 80 events that will celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Sydney Chinese New Year Festival

February 1 to February 10

Chinatown

Celebrate the Lunar New Year at City of Sydney’s Chinese New Year Festival. This vibrant arts Festival has a program bursting with cultural events, markets, tours, exhibitions and entertainment, most of them free. Be part of the fun as the city’s streets come alive with giant lunar lanterns and more.

Dragon Boat Races

Saturday, February 9, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday, February 10, 8:30 am – 3:00 pm

Cockle Bay Wharf

Don’t miss the extremely popular Dragon Boat Races that see the spirit and power of the dragon come alive as 12-meter long boats, with up to 20 paddlers, battle it out to the beating of drums!

This is the biggest Dragon Boat Race in the southern hemisphere.

Lion Dances

February 1 to February 10 – Fridays to Sundays, 6:00 pm – 6:45 pm

Chinatown (Dixon Street, Haymarket)

Chinese Lion Dancers will bring drumming, splendour and humour to Chinatown.

Learn more about Sydney Chinatown!

Other Events

Other Events of Interest 

Canada Day Events and Fireworks

Independence Day (4th of July) Events and Fireworks

 

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