Vancouver's arts community celebrates Lunar New Year 2025
From dragon dances to live music, there are several ways to ring in the Year of the Snake
The Lantern City. Photo via LunarFest
IN 2025, THE Lunar New Year begins on January 29, ushering in the Year of the Snake, symbolizing wisdom, elegance, transformation, and mystery. Also known as the spring festival, the event is a deeply significant celebration in Asian culture, marked by family reunions, traditions, and, in Metro Vancouver, arts events. Here’s a look at some of the happenings taking place this year.
UBC Kung Fu Club.
Lunar New Year Market at UBC Botanical Garden
January 25 and 26
Attendees are invited to enjoy the Asian garden at this event that will feature more than 40 local makers and food trucks. The UBC Kung Fu Club will put on a lion dance and a kung fu performance, while workshops in calligraphy, sweet-dumpling-dessert making, and more will be on offer. Auspicious flowers, dried floral arrangements, and potted plants will be for sale.
LunarFest
January 27 to February 19 at various venues
This multipronged celebration is organized by the Asian-Canadian Special Events Association. The LunarFest Concert takes place at the Orpheum on January 27. It will host the Harmonia string ensemble and West Vancouver Youth Band, which will unite to present a fusion of Western and Eastern musical styles. Also performing is Taiwan’s Suona Gang, a group of young musicians redefining the traditional suona (a Chinese double-reed woodwind instrument), showcasing its versatility through jazz, pop, and folk performances.
The LunarFest Artist Market takes place over the course of three weekends (February 1 and 2, 8 and 9, and 15 and 16) at Ocean Artworks on Granville Island. LNY Splash is a partnership with Vancouver International Film Festival taking place February 8 and 9 (see more below). The Lantern City lights up Vancouver’s public spaces with captivating installations at multiple locations: Pendulum Gallery (January 27 to February 21); šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (north of Vancouver Art Gallery) and 800 Robson Plaza (January 29 to February 18); Granville Island (January 29 to February 17); and Bentall Centre (January 29 to February 19).
Taste of Chinatown! Festival!
To February 2 at Chinatown Storytelling Centre
The Vancouver Chinatown Foundation’s Chinatown Storytelling Centre puts on this celebration that centres on food and drink. On January 31, there’s the sold-out Chinatown Cocktail Showdown in partnership with Destination Vancouver’s annual Dine Out Vancouver Festival, where guests will enjoy small bites from Chinatown BBQ, Dicky’s Dumps, Pizza Coming Soon, and DD Mau. On February 1, specialty tastings and pop-ups will be in place, including the limited-edition BBQ pork cruffin collaboration from Chinatown BBQ and Beaucoup Bakery. February 2 is parade day in Chinatown (see more below), with other activities including sales of Saan Saan Cafe’s Hong Kong milk tea and pastries.
Qiu Xia He of Silk Road Music.
Silk Road Music: Lunar New Year Celebration
February 1 at Gateway Theatre
For more than two decades, Silk Road Music has fused East and West, blending Chinese folk and classical music with jazz, blues, Brazilian, Celtic, Spanish, Arabic, and Aboriginal music for a sound all its own. The ensemble is made up of pipa (Chinese lute) virtuoso Qiu Xia He; percussionist Phil Belanger; taiko, djembe, and world percussionist Jason Overy; guitar and oud player André Thibault; and sheng (Chinese reed instrument) and suona player Zhongxi Wu.
Vancouver Chinatown Spring Festival Celebration. Photo via ChinaCulture.org
Vancouver Chinatown Spring Festival Celebration and Parade
February 2 throughout Chinatown
Dance troupes, marching bands, martial-arts performances, lion and dragon dances: the Vancouver Chinatown Spring Festival Celebration is the city’s biggest LNY event. Organized by the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver, Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver, Vancouver Chinatown Merchants Association, S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Chinese Freemasons Vancouver Branch, Shon Yee Benevolent Association of Canada, and several community and multicultural groups, it’s expected to draw more than 100,000 people. The Chinatown Spring Festival Parade will begin at 11 am in front of the Millennium Gate on West Pender Street.
Lunar New Year at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
February 2
The garden will be adorned with red lanterns, symbolizing good fortune and prosperity, and there will also be a lion dance and tea ceremonies. Calligraphy workshops, LNY arts and crafts, guzheng (Chinese plucked zither) performances, and a cooking demonstration round out the offerings.
Lunar New Year at Museum of Surrey
February 8
The free event is offered in partnership with the Chinese Village Club and features dragon dance instruction, poetry performances, traditional and modern dance, tai chi demonstrations, storytelling, and more.
LNY Splash
February 8 and 9 at VIFF Centre
As part of LunarFest (see above), The Society of We Are Canadians Too teams up with Vancouver International Film Festival for a special showing of several titles by Asian filmmakers. On February 8, there are screenings of the documentary Hao Are You, featuring a virtual Q&A with Vietnamese director Dieu Hao Do after the showing; Stand Up Story, a comedy by Hong Kong’s Cheuk Man Au; and Granny Must Die, an absurd comedy by Taiwanese director 陳怡蓉 Chen Yi-Jung, who will appear in a virtual Q&A afterward. On February 9, Come Home, My Child, a documentary by Taiwan’s Jasmine Ching-Hui Lee, precedes a screening of the drama Picnic by South Korea’s Kim Yong-gyun.
Otosan
February 17 to 22 at Gateway Theatre
Co-created by Shizuka Kai, Randi Edmundson, and Jess Amy Shead of Little Onion Puppet Co., Otosan is based on Kai’s real-life experience of trying to connect with her no-nonsense father, a dedicated wildlife documentary videographer. Otosan means “father” in Japanese. The story centres on young Shizu, who hides in her dad’s suitcase and secretly winds up in his most dangerous destination, the Arctic. As the two encounter snowy owls, white wolves, grizzly bears, and other creatures, they learn to better appreciate and understand each other. The production—which features puppetry, real wildlife projections, and an original score—aims to take audiences on an immersive journey. 
Related Articles
