50+ Lunar New Year Events in LA & Orange County (2026)
Updated: January 2026
Looking for Lunar New Year events in Southern California in 2026?
Families can celebrate Lunar New Year across Southern California with parades, festivals, lion dances, cultural performances, kids’ activities, and free community events from January through March. This guide highlights more than 50 Lunar New Year celebrations happening throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, and surrounding areas.
🚗 KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: This list is organized by date and includes free and ticketed celebrations. Event details are subject to change, so families should confirm details with the organizer before attending.
Quick Answers: Lunar New Year in Southern California
What is Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year is a traditional holiday celebrated across many East and Southeast Asian cultures, including Chinese, Vietnamese (Tết), and Korean communities. It marks the beginning of the lunar calendar and is centered on family, good fortune, and renewal.
When is Lunar New Year in 2026?
Lunar New Year 2026 is Year of the Horse and officially begins on February 17, 2026. Celebrations begin in January, continuing through February and early March across Southern California.
Are there free Lunar New Year events in Southern California?
Yes! Many Lunar New Year festivals, parades, and community celebrations are free to attend!
Common Lunar New Year Traditions:
Lunar New Year celebrations often include symbolic traditions that focus on family, good fortune, and welcoming the year ahead.
- Spring Cleaning: Homes are cleaned before the new year to clear away bad luck and make space for positive energy.
- Reunion Dinners: Families gather for a special meal on Lunar New Year’s Eve to celebrate togetherness.
- Dragon and Lion Dances: These performances symbolize strength, luck, and protection, and are common at public festivals.
- Red Envelopes: Elders give red envelopes filled with money as a symbol of good fortune.
- Lantern Festivals: Lanterns mark the end of the celebration period and symbolize light and hope.
- Traditional Clothing: Cultural attire such as qipao, hanbok, or áo dài is often worn during celebrations.
- Fireworks and Firecrackers: Loud sounds are believed to scare away bad spirits and welcome good luck.
- Traditional Foods: Dishes like dumplings, fish, and rice cakes are eaten for their symbolic meanings.
- Temple Visits: Some families visit temples to pray for health and prosperity.
- Cultural Performances: Music, dance, and storytelling bring communities together during festivals.
2026 Lunar New Year Events in Southern California
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Celebration
RC Sports Center | Rancho Cucamonga
January 17-18, 2026
Enjoy a weekend of cultural celebration with lion dances, martial arts performances and more! The event features foods from local vendors and carnival rides. Check out the Artisan Marketplace and where local artisans showcase their crafts.
Lunar New Year
Disney California Adventure Park | Anaheim
January 23 – February 22, 2026
Highlights include Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession and special appearances. Plus, enjoy special menu items, crafts, activities, and more.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar Block Party
Lankershim (between Hesby & Magnolia) | Los Angeles
Saturday, January 24, 2026 • 11am-4pm
The Lunar Block Party is an opportunity for NoHo pedestrians to reclaim the block as they welcome the new and good through food, performing arts, culture, and artisans celebrating Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese cultures.
New Year Sekku
Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden | CSULB
Sunday, January 25, 2026
Join the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden for their Annual New Year Sekku Festival. Welcome the Year of the Horse with crafts, activities, and live music.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar Festival
Mission Inn Ave. | Riverside
January 24-25, 2026
The Riverside Lunar Festival offers a mix of cultural performances, including K-Pop and lion dances and carnival rides. Kids can engage in hands-on workshops like calligraphy, tea ceremonies, and Lunar New Year crafts, while families explore an artisan market and enjoy gourmet street food and car enthusiasts the JDM Car Exhibit.
🧧 FREE!
Flower Festival
Asian Garden Mall | Westminster
January 29 – February 15, 2026 • 10am-10pm
Shop for flowers, fruits, and food for Lunar New Year. Food vendors will be open Thursdays – Sundays from 6-10pm! Don’t miss the Firecracker Show on February 17, 2026.
🧧 FREE!
Koreatown Lunar Night Market
Koreatown Plaza | Los Angeles
January 31, 2026 • 3-6pm
Enjoy lion dancing, Korean drumming, AAPI vendors, and a chance to snag a $15 food voucher.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Festival
Garvey Ave. | Downtown Monterey Park
January 31 – February 1, 2026
Enjoy a day celebrating the Lunar New Year with lion and dragon dancers, delicious food, live entertainment, amusement rides, and more!
The Great Race: A Chinese New Year Adventure
Segerstrom Center for the Arts | Costa Mesa
January 31 – February 1, 2026
oin characters, Po Po and Kung Kung, as they celebrate Chinese New Year by making dumplings and sharing the story of The Great Race with their grandkids, Freddie and Ivy. The show weaves a family celebration with a re-telling of one of the most beloved tales in Chinese folklore – the origin story of the Chinese Zodiac.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Festival
Chino City Hall | Chino
January 31 – February 1, 2026
Enjoy lion dances, street food, live entertainment, and hands-on cultural fun at the Chino Lunar Festival.
🧧 FREE!
Family Sundays: Lunar New Year Celebration
Casa Romantica | San Clemente
Sunday, February 1, 2026 • 10am-2pm
Enjoy free admission to Casa Romantica and celebrate the new year with a lion dance performance and crafts for kids.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Festival
Bowers Museum | Santa Ana
Sunday, February 1, 2026 • 11am-3pm
Enjoy a festive afternoon of cultural dances, music from China and Korea, paper lanterns, face painting, and sweet treats.
Lunar New Year
Outlets of San Clemente | San Clemente
February 1-23, 2026
Throughout the month, enjoy seasonal décor, engaging elements, and moments designed to bring good fortune and joy to your visit.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Celebration
The Shops at Santa Anita | Arcadia
February 1-28, 2026
Explore a golden horse display, cherry blossoms, and weekend lion dances at this month-long Lunar New Year installation.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Festival
FV Recreation Center | Fountain Valley
February 7, 2026 • 10am-1pm
Celebrate the Year of the Horse with a day of games, crafts, and cultural activities honoring the traditions of Lunar New Year. Learn about its history through interactive experiences while enjoying a festive community atmosphere.
Lunar New Year Festival
Great Park Live | Irvine
Saturday, February 7, 2026 • 12-4:30pm
The inaugural festival features a parade, lion dance performances, cultural stage performances, food vendors, and family activity zone.
🧧 FREE!
Tết Festival
Centennial Park | Santa Ana
Saturday, February 7, 2026 • 1-6pm
This cultural celebration offers live performances, including lion and dragon dances, dancing, and food vendors. Kids can enjoy inflatables in the Kids Zone, while families can explore exhibits, library resources, and cap off the day with a fireworks show at 5:45 p.m.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Celebration
Westminster Library | Westminster
Saturday, February 7, 2026 • 10:30am
Enjoy a day of culture, community, and fun with lion dance and drum performances by Thiên Ân Performing Arts, crafts for all ages, light refreshments, and lucky red envelopes – while supplies last.
Lunar New Year at the Barnyard
Tanaka Farms | Irvine
February 7-8, 2026 • 10:30am
Ring in the new year with a special craft and a celebration of the horses at Tanaka Farms. Admission is $6.
Lunar New Year Celebration
South Coast Botanic Garden | Palos Verdes Peninsula
February 7-22, 2026
Admission: $18-27
Celebrate the Year of the Horse with cultural games, interactive dance and play stations, a wishing tree, zodiac stroll, tai chi, photo moments, specialty food and drinks, and live performances.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year
UCI Student Center & Irvine Barclay Theatre | Irvine
February 9, 2026 • 1:30-6pm
Celebrate Lunar New Year with dragon and lion dances, taiko drumming, cultural performances, a wishing tree activity, and a featured conversation program at UC Irvine’s campus-wide festival.
Lunar New Year
Nixon Presidential Library | Yorba Linda
Monday, February 9, 2026 • 4-8pm
Celebrate family, friends, and fortune with cultural performances and food at the Nixon Library.
USVA Tết Festival
Golden West College | Huntington Beach
February 13-15, 2026
USVA Tết Festival is one of the largest Vietnamese festivals in the nation. The festival offers hundreds of booths, traditional foods, live entertainment, festival games, and customary Vietnamese New Year celebrations. Free admission for anyone wearing traditional outfits, military, and scout uniforms (valid Saturday from 12-1pm).
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year
The District at Tustin Legacy | Tustin
Saturday, February 14, 2026 • 12-2pm
Ring in the Year of the Horse with lion dances, martial arts performances, kids’ crafts, glitter tattoos, a live DJ, red envelope giveaways, and a month-long photo pagoda experience.
Lunar New Year Celebration
Citadel Outlets | Los Angeles
February 14-15, 2026 • 12-3pm
Celebrate Lunar New Year at Citadel Outlets with traditional dancers and festive performances throughout the center.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Celebration
Wallis Annenberg Petspace | Playa Vista
Saturday, February 14, 2026 • 11am-5pm
Discover the significance of the horse in Chinese zodiac culture, place your well wishes on the Wishing Tree, and enjoy traditions from the Chinese American Museum.
Lunar New Year in the City
Pretend City Children’s Museum | Irvine
Sunday, February 15, 2026 • 11am, 12pm, 1pm
Welcome to the Year of the Horse! Celebrate Lunar New Year with colorful traditions, cultural movement, and fun for the whole family!
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year
USC Pacific Asia Museum | Los Angeles
Saturday, February 15, 2026 • 11-5pm
Celebrate the Year of the Horse with free lion dance performances, cultural music and dance, storytelling, hands-on crafts, food trucks, museum admission, and opening-weekend access to a new exhibition
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year
One Colorado | Pasadena
Saturday, February 15, 2026 • 1-4pm
Celebrate cultural performances, including lion and dragon dances, and live music. Kids can enjoy lantern crafting, receive red envelopes for good luck, and experience the festive atmosphere with family-friendly activities.
Hello Kitty Meet & Greet
Hello Kitty Cafe | Irvine
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 • 10am-2pm
Celebrate with a special meet and greet with Hello Kitty, stop by the photo op, and try new menu items.
Lunar New Year Celebration
Anaheim Packing District | Anaheim
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 • 6-9pm
Enjoy music from DJ Crisanto Santa Ana, lion dancers, stickers, photo booth doodles, and lucky envelope giveaways.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Celebration
Rodeo 39 | Stanton
Saturday, February 21, 2026 • 2-6pm
Celebrate Lunar New Year at Rodeo 39 with live lion dance performances, traditional calligraphy, red lantern décor throughout the market, and a free, family-friendly atmosphere.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year
Cerritos Towne Center | Cerritos
Saturday, February 21, 2026 • 12-2pm
Lion Dance performances, kids’ crafts, photo opportunities, stilt walkers and Lucky Red Envelope Giveaway!
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year
The Shops at Mission Viejo | Mission Viejo
Saturday, February 21, 2026 • 3-5pm
Enjoy a special Lion Dance, musical performances, poetry readings, and artwork displays.
🧧 FREE!
Tết Parade
Bolsa Ave. (between Magnolia & Bushard) | Westminster
Saturday, February 21, 2026
The Westminster Tết Parade has been a cornerstone of Lunar New Year celebrations in Little Saigon for over 20 years. Broadcast globally, it features floats, lion dances, marching bands, cultural attire, veterans, youth organizations, martial arts, and local businesses. The event not only marks the Lunar New Year but honors the vibrant Vietnamese-American community in Orange County, the largest outside Vietnam.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Festival
CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles | San Pedro
Saturday, February 21, 2026 • 3-7pm
Welcome Year of the Horse with cultural attractions, dance and musical performances, petting zoo, wishing wall, and food trucks.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year
The Market Place | Tustin
Saturday, February 21, 2026 • 12-3pm
Enjoy lion dances, martial arts demonstrations, drum teams, prosperity postcards, giveaways, and more as Paradise Park comes alive.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar Fest
Irvine Heritage Park Public Library | Irvine
Saturday, February 21, 2026 • 1-4pm
Gallop into the new year with lion and dragon dances, Chinese yo-yo, special performances, beverage samples, calligraphy and origami stations, mini lantern decorating, paper fortune cookies, and more.
Lunar New Year
Segerstrom Center for the Arts | Costa Mesa
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Join the Pacific Symphony’s annual festivities during the Lunar New Year. Enjoy a colorful performance of Eastern and Western music and dance.
🧧 FREE!
Golden Dragon Lunar New Year Parade
Chinatown | Los Angeles
Saturday, February 21, 2026 • 1-4pm
Celebrate Lunar New Year at this iconic parade, featuring lion dances, dance troupes, music groups, and cultural performances along North Broadway. Government officials, business leaders, and community organizations join in the festivities, making it one of the largest celebrations in Southern California.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year
Santa Monica Place | Santa Monica
Friday, February 21, 2026 • 2-5pm
Step into the Year of the Horse with festive décor, traditional lion dancing, martial arts, calligraphy, arts and crafts, live music, and more.
Lunar New Year
The Huntington Library | San Marino
February 21-22, 2026 • 10am-5pm
Celebrate the Year of the Horse at The Huntington with lion dances, martial arts, mask-changing, traditional music and dance, calligraphy, opera, floral arts, family crafts, and live performances throughout the gardens.
Lunar New Year
L.A. Zoo | Los Angeles
February 21-22, 2026 • 10am-4pm
Celebrate the Year of the Horse with cultural dance performances, calligraphy and fan decorating, animal feedings, education stations, a zodiac-themed zoo tour, and a Lunar New Year photo op included with admission.
Lunar New Year
Santa Anita Park | Arcadia
February 21-22, 2026 • 10:30am
Celebrate the Year of the Horse at Santa Anita Park with lion dances, cultural performances, family activities, food vendors, a red envelope wealth tree giveaway, and live horse racing throughout the day.
Lunar New Year
San Diego Zoo | San Diego
February 21-22, 2026
Meet wildlife care specialists to learn about tigers, red pandas, and other species, and chat with conservationists working to protect them. Create festive crafts, add a wish to the conservation wishing tree, and snap a photo with Bamboo Panda.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Celebration
Woodbury Town Center | Irvine
Sunday, February 22, 2026 • 4-7pm
Experience the New Year’s Night Market at Woodbury Town Center, featuring more than 30 food stalls, K-POP DJs, and an evening drone show display beginning at 6:45pm.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Celebration
The Point | El Segundo
Sunday, February 22, 2026 • 2-4pm
Enjoy lion dances, cultural performances, arts and crafts, photo ops, surprise red envelopes and more.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Celebration
Larchmont Village | Los Angeles
Sunday, February 22, 2026 • 10am-3pm
Celebrate Lunar New Year with lion dances, kung fu demonstrations, lantern arts and crafts, mahjong games, story time for kids, ancient instrument performances, Asian-themed food trucks and desserts, and more! Register online.
Anaheim Ducks Lunar New Year Celebration
Honda Center | Anaheim
Thursday, February 25, 2026
Date confirmed, details TBA.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year
Paséa Hotel | Huntington Beach
Friday, February 27, 2026 • 6-8:30pm
This all-ages event features live entertainment, lion dancing, lantern making, red envelope calligraphy, crafts, food and beverage, and passport-style tasting book. Event is free, rsvp online.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Festival
SteelCraft | Garden Grove
Saturday, February 28, 2026 • 12-10pm
Ring in the new year with lion dancers, Korean dancers, face painting, balloon artist, sensory play, crafts, live music and more.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Celebration
Fashion Island | Newport Beach
Saturday, February 28, 2026 • 12-3pm
Craft a Blessings Bracelet, enjoy calligraphy demos, and catch the Lion Dance during Fashion Island’s Lunar New Year celebration.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year
Main Street | Alhambra
Sunday, February 28, 2026 • 9am-5pm
Experience a day-long celebration with cultural performances, live art, cooking demos, and interactive experiences. Explore Artist Alley for handcrafted goods, savor authentic cuisine, and try the new Cultural Passport experience to learn how different regions celebrate the holiday. Families can enjoy the Kid’s Zone, games, and festive photo ops, while the Main Stage features a dragon dance, candy sculpting, and more.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Celebration
MainPlace Mall | Santa Ana
Saturday, February 28, 2026 • 12-3pm
Enjoy Lion and Dragon Dances, kids crafts, and festive giveaways during MainPlace Mall’s Lunar New Year celebration.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year
Bella Terra | Huntington Beach
Saturday, February 28, 2026 • 1-4pm
Enjoy a Lion Dance, cultural performances, character meet-and-greets, and giveaways during Bella Terra’s Lunar New Year celebration.
Lunar New Year
LA County Arboretum & Botanic Garden | Arcadia
Saturday, February 28, 2026 • 9am-2pm
Celebrate with crafts, planting stations, lion dance, martial arts, red envelope seed giveaway, and food trucks.
🧧 FREE FESTIVAL!
48th Annual L.A. Chinatown Firecracker
Chinatown | Los Angeles
February 28 – March 1, 2026
This long-running Lunar New Year tradition returns to Chinatown Plaza with a full weekend of run, walk, bike, and family events celebrating the Year of the Horse. The Firecracker is known as one of the largest and oldest Lunar New Year run/walk events in the country. Watch the opening ceremony with lion dancers and the lighting of 100,000 firecrackers, plus a two-day Firecracker Festival open to the public with live entertainment, vendors, exhibitors, and kids’ activities.
🧧 FREE!
Lunar New Year Celebration
Irvine Spectrum Center | Irvine
Sunday, March 1, 2026 • 12-4pm
Enjoy 15+ cultural performances, face painting, balloon art, and festive mocktails at Irvine Spectrum’s Lunar New Year celebration.
🧧 FREE!
Lantern Festival
Segerstrom Center for the Arts | Costa Mesa
Saturday, March 7, 2026 • 11am
This event is currently sold out, but there will be a standby line in the morning. Experience a free, family-friendly festival filled with music, dance, cultural performances, and hands-on activities. Enjoy lantern decorating, riddles, a dragon dance, and photo opportunities as the concert hall transforms with community-created lanterns. Admission is free, but tickets are required.
🧧 FREE!
Lantern Festival
San Gabriel Mission District
March 21-22, 2026
See amazing lantern displays, live performances, street foods, shopping, and more.
Lunar New Year
South Coast Plaza | Costa Mesa
Details TBA
Lunar New Year
Kidspace Children’s Museum | Pasadena
Details TBA
Categories: Blog
This post was written by Kidsguide
