Adorning yourself in red for good luck? Deep-cleaning your home to rid it of negativity before a celebratory feast? These are signs that the Lunar New Year has begun.
The 15-day festival commemorates the first new moon of the lunisolar calendar, signifying the arrival of spring.
Official dates vary, but, this year, the celebration began on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
Celebrated by over 2 billion people — primarily in East and Southeast Asian cultures — Lunar New Year focuses on family reunions, honoring ancestors and welcoming good fortune and prosperity into the coming year.
According to the Chinese zodiac, 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, symbolizing a year of bold energy, rapid change, intense passion and a desire for freedom.
In honor of it all, events and gatherings are taking place around the Twin Cities for all to enjoy. Here’s a list of five to consider.
Celebration at the Mall of America
On Saturday, Feb. 21, and Sunday, Feb. 22, from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m., the Mall of America is hosting its annual Lunar New Year festivities at the Huntington Bank Rotunda, located on the first floor of the Bloomington mall.
The celebration will showcase artistic performances, cultural presentations and activities such as cultural booths with calligraphy and other traditional art forms.
This year, students from local Chinese immersion schools along with a Dragon Dance and Drum Team, Peking Opera, Kung Fu artists and musicians from the University of Minnesota and Carleton College will be performing throughout the weekend.
A Miss Asia pageant will be held Sunday.
The event is free and open to all.
More information can be found by visiting mallofamerica.com.
Minnesota Orchestra performance
On Thursday, Feb. 26, from 7 to 10 p.m., The Minnesota Orchestra and a variety of guest artists will perform at the Minneapolis Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, in celebration of Lunar New Year.
The concert will explore themes of family, tradition and unity through lively orchestral music with a handful of special guests.
The concert will also include a traditional dragon dance, presented in partnership with the Alliance of Chinese Culture and Arts.
Ticket prices and further information can be found by visiting minnesotaorchestra.org.
Twin Cities Dumpling Feast
On Thursday, March 19, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Peking Garden Chinese Restaurant in St. Paul — located at 394 University Ave. W. — the fifth annual Twin Cities Dumpling Feast will be held in honor of Lunar New Year.
Related Articles
Apostle Island ice caves likely closed for season after storm
Stirring ‘Les Miserables’ resonates with resolve and sadness
Grandson of the inventor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups accuses Hershey of cutting corners
Brazilian snowboarder Pat Burgener’s Olympic journey spans the mountains to music
Whether it’s a mini-sabbatical or an adult gap year, more people are taking extended work breaks
In Chinese culture, dumplings are considered lucky and symbolize wealth and prosperity due to their resemblance to a coin currency from a thousand years ago.
The Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society and the Association of Sino-American Neocultural Exchange invites the community to gather at Peking Garden and indulge in a 10-course Chinese banquet full of dumplings, potstickers and other gourmet Chinese food while enjoying Lunar New Year activities and performances by local musicians and Chinese cultural experts.
Registration for the event is required and can be completed by contacting Christina Deng Morrison at asane.culture@gmail.com or Zhou Chen at cxzhou.mn@gmail.com. The deadline to register is Monday, March 9.
Individual tickets start at $45. A table for 10 is $450.
More information can be found by visiting mnchinagarden.org or mnasane.org.
New exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art
From Wednesday, Feb. 18, to Sunday, Aug. 30, the Minneapolis Institute of Art in Minneapolis, 2400 Third Ave. S., is opening a new exhibition in honor of the Chinese zodiac year.
The show, titled “Year of the Horse: Hoofbeats through Time,” celebrates the horses in Chinese art and culture by exploring the animal as both a creature and cultural symbol of strength, virtue and ambition.
The exhibition opens with a curator talk at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19.
A public tour of the exhibition will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28.
The exhibition is free and open to all.
More information can be found by visiting artsmia.org.
Celebration at Luce Line Brewing
Related Articles
Stirring ‘Les Miserables’ resonates with resolve and sadness
In a West St. Paul front yard, an oversized whistle sculpture calls for ‘ICE out’
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band to play Target Center in March
Here’s why the Apostle Islands ice caves closed a day after opening
Skywatch: Romance in the stars
On Saturday, Feb. 21, from 1 to 5 p.m., Luce Line Brewing — located at 12901 16th Ave. N. in Plymouth — will be hosting a Lunar New Year celebration in partnership with the Chinese Heritage Foundation right at the taproom.
The family-friendly event will feature a traditional lion dance, a kung fu demonstration by the Golden Leopard Martial Arts Center, interactive cultural stations like dumpling-making, calligraphy bookmarks, lantern and opera mask crafts, zodiac activities, chopstick lessons and more.
The event is free and open to all.
More information can be found by visiting facebook.com/LuceLineBrewing.
Leave a Reply