Celebrate Lunar New Year Houston style! This year, the Lunar New Year – otherwise known as Chinese New Year – kicks off on Tuesday, February 17. Celebrations for the annual event often last for up to two weeks, starting ahead of the special day. For the next couple weeks, there are a variety of fabulous celebrations you can attend here in Houston – from food festivals, to night markets and lion dances!
POST HTX is set to gallop into the Year of the Horse on February 15, transforming the Houston hub into a massive Lunar New Year spectacle. The festivities kick off at 11:00 AM with a high-energy free barre class. Following which, the venue will feature a carnivalesque Asian pop-up market, lion dance performances, and an array of specialized food vendors serving up traditional holiday delicacies.
Otaku Food Festival
Just weeks after its last visit to Houston, the Otaku Food Festival will return with a two-day Lunar New Year celebration at Karbach Brewery. Over the weekend, the festival will feature over 100 food, anime, and retail vendors, as well as host a sumo tournament, voice actor appearances, cosplay contests, and all sorts of all-day entertainment!
Montrose Collective
On Saturday, February 7, Montrose Collective will feature two high-energy performances by Unity Dragon & Lion Dance Troupe in celebration of the Year the Horse. In addition to the performances (12 pm and 2 pm), the event will feature themed vendors, tasty eats, red lanterns, envelopes, and more!
Discovery Green
Discovery Green is set to celebrate Lunar New Year this February with lions, dragons, and cultural performances! Located in the heart of downtown, Houston, the Lunar New Year event at the Anheuser-Busch stage will also feature an Asian-themed market, complete with tasty treats and unique gifts.
Ocean Palace
Ring in the Year of the Horse with a side of dim sum at Ocean Palace. The Chinatown icon is turning up the volume this February with a stacked lineup of high-energy dragon and lion dance performances to celebrate Lunar New Year.
Slated performances include Unity Dragon and Lion Dance Troupe on February 21 at 10:30 am; Teo Chew Association: Unicorn Dragon and Lion Dance on February 22 at 11 am; and Soaring Phoenix Dragon & Lion Dance Association on February 28 at 12:30 pm.
River Oaks District
This year, the River Oaks District will be hosting two special Lunar New Year celebrations. The first of which will take place on Tuesday, February 17 at The Park. Here, visitors can enjoy a Lee’s Golden Dragon Platform Dragon Dance.
River Oaks District
The second River Oaks District LNY event will take place on Saturday, February 21. From 2 pm – 5 pm, visitors can enjoy complimentary boba drinks, an interactive origami station, LNY-inspired cocktails courtesy of Azumi, as well as photo-ops and a special High Pole performance at 3 pm.
Houston Premium Outlets
In celebration of Lunar New Year, Houston Premium Outlets will host a fantastic two-day event kicking off Saturday, February 14. Over the weekend, organizers will host Lion Dance performances by Phap Luan Buddhist Culture Center (3 – 4 pm both days) as well as in-store festivities, giveaways, and LNY-inspired, all-ages crafts activities via Theory Outlet.
Market Square Park
This Valentine’s Day, Market Square Park will host a special Lunar New Year festival complete with lion and dragon dances, a live DJ, a food and artisan market, as well as cultural workshops by Young Audiences of Houston. Plus, the first 300 to attend the event will receive special red envelopes filled with gift vouchers to assorted businesses in Downtown, Houston.
Chinese Community Center
A staple of Houston’s Asiatown for over two decades, the Chinese Community Center’s Lunar New Year festival celebrates the rich cultural tapestry of Houston This year’s event marks the debut of a seasonal Asian Heritage series designed to spotlight the food, art, and traditions of Asian cultures.