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Lunar New Year Celebrations in Portland
Portlanders celebrate the Lunar New Year with traditional dances, lantern ceremonies and stunning performances.
Dmae Roberts
The Lunar New Year marks the first day of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar, which typically falls in late January or early February. Several East and Southeast Asian countries mark the Lunar New Year with various cultural events and activities, but you don’t need to fly halfway around the world to join the celebration.
Read on to learn more about the annual Lunar New Year celebrations in Portland, all of which are open to the public.
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is traditionally a 15-day celebration that includes wearing the lucky color red, paying respects to ancestors and cleaning the house to drive away bad luck. Festive menus feature foods like dumplings, cakes and long noodles for long life. Other traditions include lucky papers with good wishes, money-stuffed red envelopes and firecrackers to frighten off the mythical Nian.
Chinese New Year Cultural Fair
Presented by the Portland Chinese Times, the Chinese New Year Cultural Fair draws thousands of attendees. This annual event occurs at the Oregon Convention Center, where you can snack on free samples from local Chinese restaurants. Enjoy live music, martial arts, Chinese folk dances, dragon and lion dances and other family-friendly cultural performances. Visitors of all ages can try hands-on activities like face painting, calligraphy and arts and crafts presented by local Chinese language schools.
Lunar New Year at Lan Su Chinese Garden
Inspired by the Lantern Festival, or Yuan Xian Jie, as part of Chinese New Year traditions, the Lunar New Year at Lan Su Chinese Garden welcomes the Year of the Dragon by hosting two unique viewing experiences.
Lunar New Year Dragon and Lantern Viewing
Enjoy spirited celebrations at Lan Su Garden’s Dragon and Lantern Viewing Evenings. This experience promises a festive atmosphere full of traditional performances, vibrant lantern displays and interactive cultural activities, including the traditional Chinese dragon dance procession.
Lunar New Year Tea and Lantern Viewing
If you want to experience the serenity of the Lunar New Year, Lan Su Chinese Gardens welcomes you to the more tranquil Lunar New Year Tea and Lantern Viewings. Sip on tea from a special tea-tasting menu and listen to soothing live music, all while delighting in the illuminated lantern sculptures throughout the garden.
Chinatown Parade
In partnership with the Oregon Historical Society, the Portland Chinatown Museum celebrates the holiday with lion dancers and performers and the yearly Lunar New Year Dragon Dance Parade. The parade winds its way through Old Town Chinatown, Downtown, and up to the Oregon Historical Society Park Plaza.
Lunar New Year Celebrations
The Chinese Friendship Association of Portland (CFAP) commemorates the new year with a yearly Lunar New Year Celebration. Bringing together multiple Asian communities to the Keller Auditorium, this celebration includes stunning performances by acrobatics, traditional singing, dance and martial arts. With calligraphy exhibits, craft workshops and activities, the whole family will enjoy welcoming The Year of the Dragon.
The annual Lunar New Year Celebration at the Washington Square Mall honors the Wishing Tree Tradition. Shoppers are invited to make a wish on a red ribbon and toss it at the wishing tree in hopes that it will stick and their wish will come true in the coming year. The day-long celebration includes traditional dances, Chinese Folktale storytelling, musical performances and puppet shows.
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