The Year of the Horse is nearly upon us, with celebrations across the Bay Area for the next few weeks. The region’s largest Vietnamese Tet festival will take place over three days, Feb. 20-22, in San Jose, and the season culminates in San Francisco’s Chinese New Year parade on March 7. That event reigns as the largest such celebration outside Asia. And it’s one of the few illuminated nighttime parades in the world.
Here, in chronological order, are highlights across the region:
San Leandro Lunar New Year Celebration: 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, 1446 Washington Ave, near the butterfly mural. For the first time, downtown San Leandro’s Second Friday event will be transformed into a lunar new year party with performances by the UC Berkeley CAL VSA Lion Dancers and Gaga Dancers, an artisan market curated by West Coast Makers, and food and drink booths. Admission is free. Details: https://downtownsanleandro.com/
Millbrae Lunar New Year Festival: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, and Sunday, Feb. 15, in downtown Millbrae. A two-day celebration along Broadway near Victoria Avenue will feature lion dances, a multicultural performance stage, firecracker display, family-friendly games and crafts, and 200 vendors selling food, beer, wine and holiday goods. Free admission. www.eventsomg.com/
Sunnyvale Library Lunar New Year Concert: 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb 14, Sunnyvale Public Library, 665 W. Olive Ave. The Firebird Youth Chinese Orchestra will present a celebratory concert for the lunar new year. Free admission. Registration is not required, but attendees are urged to arrive early as seating will be limited. www.library.sunnyvale.ca.gov
San Jose Tet Festival: 3 to 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. both Saturday, Feb. 21, and Sunday, Feb. 22, outdoors at Eastridge Mall. Presented by UStar Productions, this three-day festival features live music and entertainment; competitions including Little Miss Vietnam California, Little Prince, Miss Áo Dài and Real Men Wear Áo Dài; live music, lion dancing and carnival rides; plus Asian retail, food and drink vendors. Free admission; parking lot at Tully and Quimby roads. www.facebook.com/UStarProductions/
Lunar New Year at San Jose Museum of Art: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at 110 S. Market St., San Jose. Welcome the Year of the Dragon with art-making activities, cultural demonstrations and live performances. Free admission all day, including the galleries. https://sjmusart.org/
Santana Row Lunar New Year Celebration: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, Santana Row Park, San Jose. The center will welcome the Year of the Horse with a celebration featuring lion dances, taiko drums, singers and martial artists. plus arts and crafts and surprise red envelopes. Free admission. https://santanarow.com/
Lunar New Year at Jack London Square: 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, in the plaza at Plank, 98 Broadway, Oakland. Celebration includes includes lion dancing, martial arts, arts and crafts, Year of the Horse photo opportunities and giveaways. Free admission. https://jacklondonsquare.com/
Livermore Valley Arts Lunar New Year: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb, 22, at the Bankhead Plaza, 2400 First St., Livermore. Watch performances by XiaoPei Dance and Kung Fu Dragon, make lanterns, play educational games and learn Chinese history at this celebration. Free admission. https://livermorearts.org/
Lunar New Year at City Center Bishop Ranch: 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, at 6000 Bollinger Canyon Road, San Ramon. Lunar new year event will feature traditional cultural performances, a lion dance and kung fu demonstration. Free admission. www.citycenterbishopranch.com/events/
Redwood City Lunar New Year Celebration: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, Courthouse Square, 2200 Broadway. Redwood City’s 15th annual Lunar New Year celebration includes lion dancers, martial artists, taiko drummers and other live performers, arts and crafts for kids, plus free admission all day to the San Mateo County History Museum. www.redwoodcity.org/residents/redwood-city-events/cultural/lunar-new-year
Oakland Chinatown Parade: 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, with the route starting and ending at Wilma Chan Park. The Year of the Horse parade will feature floats, marching groups, dancers and bands. At noon, a street festival will get under way in Chinatown with vendors and more entertainment, including live performances by the Cantonese cover band Midnight Vignette and Mark Pelli of MAGIC!, a, Canadian reggae-fusion band. Free admission. www.ocic-ca.org/2025-parade
Lunar New Year on Fourth Street Berkeley: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, at Fourth and Delaware streets. The annual festival will feature crafts for kids from noon to 3, Golden Lion martial arts demo from 1 to 2, Kei Lun lion dance from 2 to 3, followed by a shop blessing parade from 3 to 4. www.visitberkeley.com
San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade: 6 p.m. Saturday, March 7, with route from Second and Market streets to Kearny and Columbus. Olympic gold medalist Eileen Gu, the grand marshal, and the Huaxing Arts Group will kick off this famous parade. Besides the 300-foot-long Golden Dragon, floats, dance troupes and musicians, this year’s celebration will include a drone show to welcome the Year of the Horse. Free admission. For details and to purchase reserved seats, go to https://chineseparade.com/.
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