Falling on Tuesday, Feb. 17, Lunar New Year ushers in the start of the year on the lunar calendar. The holiday is celebrated across many East and Southeast Asian countries —including China, Vietnam, Korea, the Philippines and Thailand — and is traditionally celebrated over 15 days with food, performance and community gatherings. In Oregon, celebrations begin Jan. 31 and last well into March.
In Asian cultures, families will gather at home to share a large dinner, decorate lanterns and other symbolic items or give money in envelopes to children. Each year is tied to one of 12 Chinese zodiac animals and one of five elements, and 2026 welcomes the Year of the Fire Horse, a symbol of energy, passion and forward momentum.
From glowing lantern installations at Lan Su Chinese Garden to a 150-foot dragon parading through downtown Portland, here’s a roundup of Lunar New Year celebrations happening across Oregon.
Oregon 2026 Lunar New Year Celebration
Billed as Oregon’s most prestigious Lunar New Year event, this large-scale production at Keller Auditorium features more than 400 artists and performers. Highlights include award-winning Chinese acrobats Zhao Chunli and Li Jia, a dance-theater adaptation of “Dream of the Red Chamber,” martial arts showcases and musical performances celebrating the Year of the Horse.
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31; Keller Auditorium, 222 S.W. Clay St., Portland; tickets start at $34.25; portland5.com/keller-auditorium/events/oregon-2026-lunar-new-year-celebration
Milwaukie Community Center Lunar New Year Celebration
Families can usher in the new year with crafts, interactive activities, music and a live lion dance performance accompanied by drummers. The event highlights Lunar New Year traditions celebrated across China, Korea, Vietnam and beyond.
1-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7; Milwaukie Community Center, 5440 S.E. Kellogg Creek Drive; tickets are $4-$5; ncprd.org/events/lunar-new-lunar
Lan Su Chinese Garden
Lan Su Chinese Garden’s popular Lunar New Year Lantern Viewing Evenings return for a multiweek celebration. Choose between tranquil music and lantern viewing evenings or a more high-energy zodiac animal light show by Noble Robot and a live Dragon Dance procession by the Portland Lee’s Association. The nighttime experience includes a mini horse meet-and-greet on opening night followed by nightly crafts and activities, weekend cultural performances and lion dances.
5:30-7 p.m. and 7:30-9 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, Feb. 18-March 1; Lan Su Chinese Garden, 239 N.W. Everett St.; tickets from $22.95-$32.95 for general admission; lansugarden.org/lunar-new-year
Vietnamese American Lunar New Year Festival
The Vietnamese Community of Oregon welcomes the Year of the Horse with its annual Tết celebration in Clackamas. The festival includes live music, traditional áo dài performances, lion dances and food vendors serving Vietnamese favorites.
11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 21; Clackamas High School, 14486 S.E. 122nd Ave.; free; vnco.us/?page_id=17
Bridgeport Village Lunar New Year Celebration
Bridgeport Village will kick off its celebration with a lion dance in the Village Green, followed by family-friendly activities and performances throughout the shopping center.
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21; Bridgeport Village, 7455 S.W. Bridgeport Road, Tigard; free; bridgeport-village.com/event/16701-lunar-new-year-celebration
Washington Square Lunar New Year Celebration
Washington Square Mall and Explore Tualatin Valley will host a family-friendly Lunar New Year celebration featuring cultural performances, traditional crafts and interactive activities. Guests can make wishes on a Wishing Tree and enjoy live entertainment throughout the afternoon.
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28; Washington Square Mall, 9585 S.W. Washington Square Road, Tigard; free; shopwashingtonsquare.com/Events/Details/576951
Chinese New Year Cultural Fair
The annual Chinese New Year Cultural Fair returns to the Oregon Convention Center with a full day of traditional and contemporary cultural programming. Attendees can expect lion dances, folk dance performances, Chinese instrumental music, martial arts demonstrations, calligraphy, children’s games and vendor booths.
11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28; Oregon Convention Center, 777 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland; oregonccba.org/chinese-new-year-cultural-fair
Lotus & Lion: A Festival of Music and Dance
This collaborative performance by the Portland Chamber Orchestra and the White Lotus Foundation blends classical music with traditional lion dance. The program features works by Vietnamese American composer Oswald Huỳnh and Pulitzer Prize finalist Bright Sheng, alongside one of Oregon’s largest lion dance teams.
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 3; Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, 12625 S.W. Crescent St., Beaverton; tickets are $19.50-$64.50; thereser.org/event/lotus-lion-a-festival-of-music-and-dance/
Portland Chinatown Museum Dragon Dance Parade
The Portland Chinatown Museum will host its 10th annual Lunar New Year Dragon Dance Parade and Celebration, led by a 150-foot dragon weaving through Old Town Chinatown and downtown Portland. The parade includes lion dancers, drummers and the traditional “plucking the green” ritual for good luck, with red envelopes handed out to participants and onlookers.
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, March 7; begins at Portland Chinatown Museum, 127 N.W. Third Ave.; free; portlandchinatownmuseum.org/events
Did we miss an event? Please share the details with us at [email protected] and we will add it to our list.
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