The Lunar New Year celebrations peak with Vancouver’s parade on Feb. 2. Here’s a roundup of all the festivities in the Lower Mainland
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The 2025 Lunar New Year kicks off on Wednesday, Jan. 29, followed by the centrepiece parade in Vancouver’s Chinatown on Feb. 2, and wrapping up with the Lantern Festival on Feb. 12. Here’s what community groups, retailers and others have planned this year to celebrate the start of the Asian Year of the Snake.
Chinatown Spring Festival and Parade
Vancouver, Feb. 2
The annual parade through Vancouver’s Chinatown is the undisputed centrepiece of Lunar New Year in the Lower Mainland. It celebrates its 51st year in 2025. Last year’s half-century milestone event had nearly 200,000 spectators take in the festivities.
The parade hosted by the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver and partners starts at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2, travelling 1.3 kilometres from the Millennium Gate along East Pender Street and continuing east to Gore Avenue, south on Gore and turning back west at Keefer Street before ending at Carrall.
There’s lion dancing, firecrackers and lots of the colour red, symbolic in legend for helping ward off Nian, a monster set on terrorizing people in the new year.
A spring festival cultural fair runs the same day from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Chinese Cultural Centre and Dr. Sun Yat-sen Garden courtyard (50 East Pender St.), featuring multicultural performances and Lunar New Year celebration booths. Admission is free.
Businesses in the area often host their own lion dance performances after the parade to bring good fortune for the new year.
Taste of Chinatown
Vancouver, Feb. 1-2
The Chinatown Storytelling Centre at 168 East Pender St. in Vancouver has been offering culinary pop-ups, tastings and family-friendly activities all month leading up to the main event on Saturday and Sunday.
Special products to mark the Lunar New Year are on offer from retailers including Foo Hung Curios, Beaucoup Bakery, Boba Run, Haywire Winery and Saan Saan Cafe. Various treats and products will be available at the storytelling centre on both Saturday and Sunday while supplies last.
The centre is also hosting family friendly activities both days from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $5 and free for those 17 and under. Mural making, customizing lucky red envelopes and traditional candy tasting is on the menu.
Lunar New Year at Chinese Canadian Museum
Vancouver, Feb. 1-2
On Saturday and Sunday, the museum (51 East Pender St.) hosts drop-ins with new year treat samples, Year of the Snake-themed crafts and Chinese board games. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
Saturday also includes a Cantonese storytime (11 a.m.-1 p.m.), while on Sunday the museum offers artisanal ice cream (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) and balloon art (noon-4 p.m.) following the parade.
Lunar New Year at Dr. Sun Yat-sen Garden
Vancouver, various dates
Take in the vibrant red lanterns and sounds of Chinese zither Guzheng music as Dr. Sun Yat-sen Garden marks the Year of the Snake with various family friendly activities. There will be two chances to see a Togetherness Box demonstration on Wednesday (11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. and 1 p.m.-1:45 p.m.) or you can learn how to make your own lucky knot at a workshop on Saturday (12:30-2:30 p.m.) Several events are planned for Sunday (11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.), including special musical performances, traditional tea ceremonies, arts and crafts, rice cake demonstrations and more. Finally, on Feb. 12, you can create your own lantern and enjoy some sweet rice balls as part of the Lantern Festival.
LunarFest and The Lantern City
Vancouver, various dates
This wide-ranging festival celebrating the Year of the Snake includes a Jan. 27 concert at the Orpheum, art installations at Bentall Centre, Robson Plaza, the Pendulum Gallery and Granville Island through mid-February; a LNY Splash film festival at VIFF Centre on Seymour (Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 8 and 9); artists’ workshops and market; and dumpling games!
Douglas Park Community Centre
Vancouver, Feb. 1
Silk Road Music at Gateway Theatre
Richmond, Feb. 1
The award-winning quintet performs at Gateway Theatre (6500 Gilbert Rd., Richmond) on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 2 p.m. Silk Road Music blends Chinese folk and classical with jazz, blues and world music for a unique sound creating a “harmonious fusion of East and West.”
Cadillac Fairview shopping centres
Richmond, Feb. 1; Vancouver, Feb. 8
The shopping mall giant celebrates the Year of the Snake with entertainment at Richmond Centre and Pacific Centre in downtown Vancouver.
The centres will have Year of the Snake decor throughout as well as cultural performances, dances and dragon and lion parades. The key dates are Saturday, Feb. 1, 2-3:30 p.m. at CF Richmond Centre and Saturday, Feb. 8, 2-3:30 p.m. at CF Pacific Centre.
Metropolis at Metrotown
Burnaby, through Feb. 16
Burnaby’s destination megamall always goes big for Lunar New Year. In 2025, the celebration has been going on since mid-January but kicks into high gear on Feb. 1 and 2. Here are some of the things to enjoy:
Lunar New Year at Lansdowne Centre
Richmond, Feb. 1
The shopping centre at 5300 No. 3 Rd., Richmond, is hosting a multicultural celebration for the Year of the Snake on Saturday, Feb. 1, from noon to 5 p.m. A giant snakes and ladders board game will be in the centre court, with teams competing for prizes and bragging rights for a $10 donation to the VGH + UBC Hospital Foundation.
There’s an opening ceremony at noon and dragon and lion dancing by Hon Hsing Athletic Club. All the festivities are free and open to all.
Lunar New Year at Museum of Surrey
Surrey, Feb. 8
The museum at 17710 56A Ave. in Cloverdale hosts a free Year of the Snake celebration on Saturday, Feb. 8, from 1 to 4 p.m. In partnership with the Chinese Village Club, it’s a chance to learn more about the new year and Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures.
There will be live performances, lessons on dragon dancing, poetry readings, traditional and modern dance, tai chi performances and storytelling.
Qing Ensemble
Port Moody, Jan. 31
A special Lunar New Year performance of Canadian Chinese music at PoMoArts (2425 St. Johns St.) on Friday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. Qing Ensemble fuses traditional and contemporary styles and musical traditions of East and West.
Singer Bruce Bai specializes in Mongolian throat singing and percussion, Dailin Hsieh performs on a zheng, and Lan Tung plays the erhu, Mongolian horsehead fiddle and percussion.