The Lunar New Year is fast approaching, and with it many fun celebrations in Seattle. If you’re not familiar, the Lunar New Year is celebrated in Asian cultures as it is the beginning of the new year on the traditional lunar calendar. This year, it falls on Saturday, February 10 but Seattle’s celebrations fall all throughout the month. We put together this list of some of the best options for celebrating the Lunar New Year in Seattle in 2024. The best part is that almost all of these events are free to attend, so you don’t have to spend any money to go check out a traditional lion dance.
Here are the top things to do for the Lunar New Year in Seattle (in chronological order):
1. Lunar New Year Fair at Wing Luke Museum
When: Saturday, February 3, 2024
Where: Wing Luke Museum
The first portion of this event is free and takes place outdoors in front of the Wing Luke Museum on King Street at 10:00 a.m. There will be a lion dance that is free for the public to enjoy.
The second part of the celebration takes place within the museum and requires museum admission. From 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. there will be activities inside for all ages to enjoy. The museum’s exhibits will also be open until 5:00 p.m.
Get tickets and see more info on the Wing Luke Museum website.
2. Lunar New Year Family Festival at Seattle Art Museum
When: Saturday, February 3, 2024 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Where: Seattle Asian Art Museum
You can head to the Seattle Asian Art Museum on the first Saturday of February to enjoy a free Lunar New Year family festival. There will be a lion dance, story time, a photo booth, and more. The event is free with a suggested museum admission donation. However, “tickets to the Lion Dance will be distributed at the museum’s entrance and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis” and capacity is limited so we recommend arriving early if you’d like to attend. (The museum opens at 10:00 a.m. and the dance starts at 11:30.)
Get more info and tickets on the Seattle Art Museum website.
3. Tết in Seattle
When: February 3-4, 2024
Where: Seattle Center
This free Lunar New Year celebration takes place over two days at Seattle Center. The events on both days usually run from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Armory Food & Event Hall and Fisher Pavilion. Last year there was a lion dance, live music, food vendors, and craft vendors; we’ll update this when there’s more info about this year’s event! Admission is free.
See more about the event on the Seattle Center website.
4. Lunar New Year in Bellevue
When: Saturday, February 3, 2024
Where: Bellevue Square
This Saturday you can take a quick drive across Lake Washington to Bellevue for their annual Lunar New Year celebrations. From 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. there will be crafts, displays, live performances, giveaways, and more in Bellevue Square. This event is free and for all ages. See more on the event page.
5. Lunar New Year Night Market
When: Saturday, February 10, 2024
Where: Magnuson Park Hangar 30
Cost: $15-$25
This huge indoor night market will be celebrating the Lunar New Year with a lion dance, a dance party with DJs, and AAPI-owned businesses with a featured AAPI Maker’s pop-up shop. There will also be a photo booth, food trucks, and bars (hence why this event is for ages 21+ only). Get tickets here!
6. PhinneyWood Lunar New Year Celebration
When: Saturday, February 10, 2024 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Where: Phinney Center (6532 Phinney Ave N)
This family-friendly celebration will include lantern making, a lion dance, and a performance by Seattle Kokon Taiko. This event is free but if you’re able, the organizers request “as a tradition, consider bringing cash to fill red envelopes for donations. Your contributions support the event and bring good fortune for the upcoming year.”
See more info on the Phinney Center website.
7. UW Lunar New Year Gala
When: Saturday, February 17, 2024
Where: Kane Hall at University of Washington
The Chinese Student Association at the University of Washington is hosting this Lunar New Year celebration at Kane Hall—and it’s free for all to attend. The event runs from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. with performances starting at 7:00. It starts with pre-show activities and food before the seated portion for the performances. See more info on the Facebook event page.
8. Lunar New Year Celebration in downtown Seattle
When: Sunday, February 18, 2024
Where: Westlake Park
Head to downtown Seattle for this free, family-friendly celebration that features a traditional lion dance and more festivities. The event starts at 10:00 a.m. with the lion dance starting at noon in Westlake Park. There will be a second lion dance performance at First Avenue and Pike Street at 1:00 p.m. See more info here.
9. Lunar New Year Celebration in Chinatown
When: Saturday, February 24, 2024
Where: Hing Hay Park in Chinatown-International District
Don’t miss this free Lunar New Year celebration in Hing Hay Park in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (CID). From 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. there will be vendor booths, lion dances, live music and performances, and businesses participating in a neighborhood food walk.
You can read more about the event on the Seattle CID website.