Lunar New Year is one of the most significant and widely celebrated events in many East Asian cultures. This year, it falls on Tuesday, February 17th, marking the start of the Year of the Fire Horse—a symbol of optimism, perseverance and forward momentum.
Festivities don’t last just one day; the Lunar New Year celebration traditionally spans 15 days. During this time families gather to celebrate with time-honored traditions, festivities, games, and plenty of delicious food.
There are no shortages of ways to celebrate in Houston—we’ve put together a handy list of some of the best to welcome in the Year of the Horse.
Montrose Collective
On Saturday, February 7, dine and shop the restaurants and bars in the Montrose Collective and stay for Lunar New Year festivities. From noon to 2 p.m. there will be a pop-up market featuring local vendors and dragon dance performances by Unity Lion Dance. 888 Westheimer Rd., Houston, montrosecollective.com
Otaku Festival
The traveling anime and food festival is back at Karbach Brewery on Saturday, February 7 and Sunday, February 8, just in time to ring in the Year of the Horse. The free family-friendly event features more than 100 vendors offering Asian food and drink, artisan goods and anime merchants. The entertainment lineup includes a sumo wrestling tournament, cosplay contests, and plenty of photo ops. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5:30 pm on Sunday. 2032 Karbach St., Houston, karbachbrewing.com
Chinese Community Center
This is the Chinese Community Center’s 23rd year hosting its annual Lunar New Year Festival. The free family-friendly event takes place outdoors on Saturday, February 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature a wide variety of cultural and family activities, food and merchandise vendors and performances. A full list of performances can be found on the website. 9800 Town Park, Houston, ccchouston.org
Asia Society Texas Center
Houston’s Asian cultural center is welcoming in the Year of the Horse with its annual festival on Saturday, February 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature performances on the lawn, themed arts and crafts, activities, and vendors with food inspired by Lunar New Year traditions across Asia. The event is free and open to the public, but requires timed entry registration. Music and dance performances by Oriental Arts Education Center are ticketed events and can be purchased on the website. While there, attendees can also visit Asia Society’s current exhibit, the House of Pikachu: Art, Anime, and Pop Culture. 1370 Southmore, Houston, asiasociety.org
Katy Asian Town
The massive Asian shopping and food center is ushering in the new year with its LunarFest, aptly themed as Fortune Rides with You. The event runs on Saturday, February 14 and Sunday, February 15 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on both days. The outdoor street festival will feature dragon and lion dances, live cultural entertainment, food and artisan vendors, game booths and plenty of photo ops. It is free to attend, but guests can purchase the KAT LunarFest 2026 Fortune Fun Book on Eventbrite, which provides access to $600 in savings, festival only discounts, and free raffle entries. 22541 Grand Circle Blvd., Katy, katyasiantownandmarketplace.com/lunarfest2026
Houston Zoo
The Houston Zoo is hosting its inaugural public Lunar New Year event on Saturday, February 14 and Sunday, February 15. The event is included with the price of general admission and is free for zoo members. There will be dragon dance performances and Year of the Horse-inspired décor throughout the park, including a dragon and cherry blossom tree and a wishing tree that will make for the perfect photo op. 6200 Hermann Park Dr., Houston, houstonzoo.org
Market Square Park
Ring in the Lunar New Year in the heart of Downtown at this free outdoor celebration taking place at Market Square Park on Saturday, February 14 from noon to 6 p.m. The event includes a market with a variety of food and art vendors, lion and dragon dance performances, a live DJ, and cultural workshops by Young Audiences of Houston. Get there early—the first 300 people in attendance will receive a special red envelope with gift vouchers. Find a gold coin in your envelope and win an additional prize. 301 Milam St., Houston, downtownhouston.org/go/market-square-park
Discovery Green
On Sunday, February 15th from 4 to 7 p.m., Downtown’s urban park is hosting a Lunar New Year celebration with food vendors, crafts, and activities for the whole family. Traditional dance and drum performances from Han Narea and Dance of Asian America will take place throughout the event, and Lee’s Golden Dragon will cap off the night with a glow in the dark dragon dance. The event is free, but registering on the website is recommended for planning purposes. 1500 McKinney St., Houston, discoverygreen.com
POST Houston
The Downtown food hall and entertainment venue is once again hosting its Lunar New Year Celebration on Sunday, February 15. The all-day event will feature an Asian pop-up market that runs from noon to 9 p.m. with food vendors offering traditional foods and Asian goods, as well as games, arts and crafts, and other cultural activities. Soaring Phoenix will entertain the crowd with two separate dragon dance performances at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The event is free to attend, but requires guests to RSVP on the website. 401 Franklin St., Houston, posthtx.com
Tikila’s
Those looking for a place to ring in the new year with some music and crawfish will find it at this Heights-area tiki-inspired patio bar. Come as you are on Sunday, February 15 from 3 to 8 p.m. for live DJs and Viet Cajun crawfish and seafood boils for purchase from Hot and Buttered HTX. There is no cover, but be ready to dance. 2708 North Shepherd Dr., Houston, tikilashtx.com
River Oaks District
River Oaks District is doubling the festivities for Lunar New Year 2026 with two free celebrations. Festivities begin on Tuesday, February 17 with a traditional Platform Dragon Dance performance by Lee’s Golden Dragon in the Park next to Bari at 4 p.m. The celebration continues Saturday, February 21 from 2 to 5 p.m. with an afternoon of interactive fun , including complimentary boba, Lunar New Year-inspired cocktails from Azumi, origami activities, and festive photo moments throughout the District. A High Pole (Jong) performance at 3 p.m. adds an extra dose of cultural spectacle. 4444 Westheimer Rd. Houston, riveroaksdistrict.com/events/lunarnewyear
Phat Eatery
The acclaimed Malaysian eatery, with locations in Katy and the Woodlands, will celebrate with featured dragon dances throughout the month at both outposts. In Katy, festivities kick off on New Years Day, Tuesday, February 17 at 7 p.m. and will continue with performances on Friday, February 20 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22 at 11:30 a.m. Join them in the Woodlands on Friday, February 20 at 7 p.m. Multiple locations, phateatery.com
The Finn
On Tuesday, February 17 at 7 p.m., Fire Noodz, the spicy noodle shop and the resident cocktail bar HiFi, both tucked inside the Downtown food hall, are collaborating on a celebratory Lunar New Year themed dinner with drink pairings. Fire Noodz menu typically includes dishes like fiery Thai curry, savory dumplings, and ramen, so guests can expect bold Asian fusion dishes and flavors. The four-course dinner is $50 per person, and tickets can be purchased on EventBrite. 712 Main St., Houston, thefinnhou.com
The Blind Goat
Join chef Christine Ha at her modern Vietnamese eatery in Spring Branch on Lunar New Year’s Day, Tuesday, February 17. Dine on popular dishes such as Mom’s eggrolls, sticky wings, and Texas BBQ fried rice. Banh chung, a traditional Vietnamese rice cake filled with mung beans and pork will be available as part of a limited Lunar New Year menu. A lion dance performance will take place at 7 p.m. Reservations are recommended. 8145 Long Point Rd., Houston, theblindgoat.com
Sambal Chef
On Wednesday, February 18, bring the whole family to Sambal Chef to enjoy Malaysian dishes like roti canai and beef rendang, and stay for a lion dance performance at 6:30 p.m. by the Teo Chew Association dance team. 6833 W. Sam Houston Pkwy. S # 103, Houston, sambalchef.com
Maison Chinoise
The new contemporary Chinese restaurant in the River Oaks Shopping Center will make for a beautiful setting to usher in the new year. From Tuesday, February 17 to Sunday, February 22, a special menu of curated dishes will be offered as a supplement to the menu.Expect dishes that honor the tradition of the new year, including noodles and dumplings. Dine-in on the evening of Saturday, February 21 and witness a traditional dragon dance at 8 p.m. 1958 West Gray, Houston, maisonchinoisrestaurants.com
Traveler’s Cart
The casual modern, global street food restaurant in Montrose is throwing a Lunar New Year patio pop-up on Saturday, February 21 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The regular brunch menu with dishes such as pandan souffle pancakes and Korean fried chicken and waffles will be available, but guests can look forward to an off the menu special—banh cuon (Vietnamese steamed rice paper crepes), a recipe by owner Thy Mitchell’s mom. There will be boba drinks from R&B Tea and a lion dance performance will take place in the parking lot at 2 p.m. Brunch reservations are highly recommended. 1401 Montrose Blvd., Houston, travelerscart.com
Pearland Chinese Center
The annual Pearland Lunar New Year Festival is back on Saturday, February 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The family-friendly event celebrates the new year with live cultural performances, traditional arts, crafts, and exhibits, food and merchandise vendors and other fun hands-on activities. The event is free, but RSVP via Eventbriteis encouraged for planning purposes. 4141 Bailey Rd. Pearland
Ocean Palace
This Houston staple for dim sum and family style Cantonese will be celebrating the new year with three dragon dance performances throughout the month. Unity Dragon and Lion Dance Troupe will kick things off on Saturday, February 21 at 10:30 a.m., followed by Teo Chew Association’s troupe on Sunday, February 22 at 11 a.m. The finale happens on Saturday, February 28 at 12:30 p.m., where Soaring Phoenix Dragon & Lion Dance Association will extend their performance next door to the upcoming dual concept of Crawfish Cafe and Pho Prime. 11215 Bellaire Blvd., Houston, oceanpalacehouston.com
Lyric Market
On Saturday, February 28 at 1:30 p.m., the Theatre District food hall welcomes in the Year of the Horse with a special performance by Lee’s Golden Dragon troupe. Starting on the Lyric Plaza in front of the prominent Virtuosi statue, the dancers will move inside for the traditional blessing. 411 Smith St., Houston, lyricmarket.com
