Welcome in the Year of the Rabbit (and the Cat in Vietnamese zodiac) at 20+ Lunar New Year festivals & celebrations in Greater Houston from Saturday, January 14 to Sunday, February 5, 2023.
In the Chinese zodiac, the year of the Rabbit is upon us and for 2023 Lunar New Year, there will be plenty of parties and celebrations taking place across the Greater Houston area.
Take a look at our picks for some of the best festivals to bring in the Lunar New Year in 2023.
2023 Lunar New Year Festivals & Celebrations in Houston
Week of Monday, January 9
- Lunar New Year at the Woodlands Children’s Museum | Saturday, January 14 – Start the Year of the Rabbit at a celebration in the Woodlands, complete with storytime, Chinese calligraphy, games and a performance from the Celestial Dragon Houston Lion Kings. Included with general admission; $7.50 for ages 1 and up. 10am to 2pm.
- Celebrating Lunar New Year at Houston Public Library Downtown | Saturday, January 14 | FREE – The main HPL campus celebrates the Year of the Rabbit with an afternoon of cultural activities, including Chinese opera singers, storytime, and other family fun with Foreign Policy Food Truck supplying the grub. 11am to 1pm.
- Lunar New Year at Clay Family Eastern Glades | Saturday, January 14 | FREE – The Memorial Park greenspace hosts an open-to-all festive celebration that features live performances by the Unity Lion Dance Troupe and Vietnamese eats from Nom Mi Street food truck. 1:30pm to 3:30pm.
- Lunar New Year Celebration at Lua Viet Kitchen | Saturday, January 14 | No Cover – Across from the Menil Collection, Vietnamese eatery Lua Viet Kitchen celebrates Lunar New Year with lion dance performances from Soaring Phoenix Dragon and Lion Dance Association. Menu prices vary. 5:30pm.
- Lunar New Year Celebration at Post Houston | Sunday, January 15 | FREE – The Ho family of HBO’s House of Ho hosts this Lunar New Year fest with a full day of fun at the Downtown cultural hub. Start the day at noon with an Asian pop-up market serving goods and foods, plus games, arts and crafts and more; enjoy lion dances throughout the day; and take to a nighttime party with live DJs, multiple bars, digital art and more, starting at 9pm. Market is free and open to the public; the night party is free with RSVP, some VIP perks available for $36 and up. Noon to 2am.
Week of Monday, January 16
- Year of the Rabbit WonderWeek at Children’s Museum Houston | Tuesday, January 17 to Sunday, January 22 – While the official Lunar New Year bash takes place on Saturday, the Children’s Museum kicks off an entire week of festivities with ongoing activities like crafting your own origami rabbit, making masks, creating a lucky banner with Chinese characters, and more. $15 for ages 1 and up. 10am to 6pm.
- Lunar New Year at Heart | Thursday, January 19 – The Washington Avenue nightclub hosts a Lunar New Year celebration with DJs Phon and Loopy, lion dance performances and more. $10. 10pm to 2am.
- 2023 Lunar New Year Festival at Chinese Community Center | Saturday, January 21 | FREE – Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with the return of CCC’s annual Lunar New Year Festival, featuring a full day of family-friendly activities, local vendors, merch, food and live cultural performances. 10am to 4pm.
- Lunar New Year Bash at Children’s Museum Houston | Saturday, January 21 – The annual celebration returns to CMH in Museum District, celebrating Houston’s diverse Asian heritage with a day of arts and crafts, lion dances, and more. $15 for ages 1 and up. 10am to 6pm.
- Texas Lunar Festival in Bellaire | Saturday, January 21 – This annual festival returns to an in-person event, featuring dance performances, a fashion show, martial arts performances, vendors, food trucks and more in front of the Southern News Group Building on Bellaire Boulevard. 10:30am to 4:30pm.
- Year of the Rabbit Lion Dances at Ginger Kale in Hermann Park | Saturday, January 21 | No Cover – The Hermann Park restaurant celebrates the Lunar New Year with lion dances from Soaring Phoenix. 11am.
- Pearland Lunar New Year Festival at Pearland Junior High West | Saturday, January 21 | FREE – Community organizations and small businesses come together for a day of traditional Asian culture, featuring family arts and crafts, fun activities and food concessions on-site. 2pm to 5pm.
- Lunar New Year Lion Dances at Money Cat | Saturday, January 21 | No Cover – Across from Levy Park, the brand new eatery offering from the minds behind Katy’s Tobiuo Sushi & Bar, Money Cat celebrates the Lunar New Year with lion dances by Celestial Dragon. Menu prices vary. 6:30pm.
- Lunar Dance Festival 5 at Rise Rooftop | Saturday, January 21 – Shuffle to the beat when popular EDM producer 4B and DJ Loopy hit the decks at the Midtown venue, celebrating the Lunar New Year. $20 and up. 9pm to 2am.
- Otaku Lunar New Year Food Festival at Karbach Brewing Co. | Saturday, January 21 & Sunday, January 22 | FREE – More than 50 vendors will set up for two days at the Spring Branch brewery, offering up all manner of goods and gourmet foods, along with lion dances, anime cosplay and artists, a limited car show, and more. Saturday noon to 10pm; Sunday noon to 7pm.
- Lion Dances at Kim Son Bellaire | Sunday, January 22 | No Cover – The Bellaire location of Houston’s legendary Vietnamese restaurant celebrates with big shows featuring lion dances at two afternoon seatings. Reservations recommended. 12:30pm and 1:30pm.
- Lunar New Year at Solstice at Discovery Green | Sunday, January 22 | FREE – The Downtown parkspace hosts an evening of dance, as well as food vendors and fun for the whole family to celebrate Lunar New Year. 5pm to 8pm.
Week of Monday, January 23
- Lunar New Year Night: Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves at Toyota Center | Monday, January 23 – Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit as the Rockets host the Wolves in a special Lunar New Year night at the basketball arena. $11 and up. 7pm.
- 2023 Lunar New Year Festival at Asia Society Texas Center | Saturday, January 28 | FREE – Welcome in the Year of the Rabbit with cultural performances, arts and crafts activities and globally-inspired foods at Asia Society in the Museum District. While free to attend and enjoy the festival, performances from the Huaxing Arts Group Houston are ticketed and cost $10. 11am to 4pm.
- Year of the Rabbit Celebration at Viet Hoa Center | Saturday, January 28 & Sunday, January 29 | FREE – Celebrate the Lunar New Year with back-to-back days of festiviteis, including appearances by city officials, red envelope ceremonies, dancing and music, lion dance performances, and much more. 11am to 6pm.
- Lunar New Year Festival & Fried Rice Cook-Off at The Phoenix on Westheimer | Sunday, January 29 – Try a wide array of interpretations of fried rice, pulling from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, at this 6th annual cook-off in Montrose. Plus, try your hand at games to win a red envelope, enjoy face painting and money trees for the kiddos, a ping pong tournament, and more. $25 and up. Noon to 5pm.
- Have a Nice Day presents Lunar New Year at the Ion | Sunday, January 29 | FREE – The Midtown hub for business and innovation hosts a Lunar New Year celebration from Have a Nice Day HTX, complete with dragon dances, a red envelope giveaway and local vendors to shop and eat from. 4pm to 8pm.
Week of Monday, January 30
- Otaku Food Festival at No Label Brewing Co. | Saturday, February 4 & Sunday, February 5 | FREE – After appearing at Karbach weeks before, the Otaku Food Festival sets up at the Katy brewery, offering street foods, local vendors, family-friendly fun, sumo and lion dances, and more. Saturday noon to 10pm; Sunday noon to 7pm.
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