Welcome the arrival of spring with the Lunar New Year, this year celebrating the ‘Year of the Rabbit’. The Lunar New Year lasts 15 days, beginning on Sunday, Jan. 22, and acts as a period for feasting, honoring ancestors, cleaning, and ushering in good energy for the upcoming year. Traditions vary amongst Eastern and Southeast Asian cultures, so there are truly a variety of ways to celebrate. We’ve rounded up the most fabulous Lunar New Year celebrations in the Chicago area that you should explore for a prosperous start to the ‘Year of the Rabbit’.
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Argyle Street & Winthrop Avenue / Website
Date: Saturday, Jan. 28, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Welcome the new year with an afternoon of community festivities. The annual Argyle Street parade will feature more than 20 local community groups, cultural institutions, performers and dancers. Additional pop-ups and family-friendly activities will line the streets. Then, get to know the area a bit more with a self-guided tour of Uptown’s vibrant murals and public artwork using the organization’s public art map. Free to attend
24th Street & Wentworth Avenue / Website
Date: Sunday, Jan. 29 at 1 p.m.
Marvel in awe as traditional dragon and lion dancing teams fill the streets with colorful fanfare. Marching bands and marching groups will provide tunes and beats for the parade. Free to attend
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108 E Superior Street / Website
Date: Friday, Jan. 20 to Sunday, Jan. 22
Head to The Peninsula Chicago for a slew of fabulous Lunar New Year celebrations. Chef Elmo Han has created a six-course menu of Chinese favorites that will be served at the hotel’s restaurant, Shanghai Terrace, all weekend long. The menu is set to feature steamed tiger prawn, chrysanthemum fish, beef tenderloin, spicy chicken in pineapple sauce, and mandarin orange cheesecake for dessert. Pair it with the restaurant’s Chinese New Year-inspired cocktail ‘yellow earth’, comprised of chili and goji berry-infused Grey Goose vodka, mandarin clementines, lime and grapefruit bitters. The six-course menu is priced at $168 per person. Reservations can be made here.
Looking for more of a daytime celebration spot? Check out The Lobby restaurant’s Chinese New Year afternoon tea special, available from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. all weekend long. Enjoy sweet and savory bites themed to the holiday, as well as a lion dance in The Lobby at 3:15 p.m. With colorful costumes, loud drumbeats and strong cymbal crashes, evil spirits will be scared away and your crew will be entertained. Kids are even invited to “feed” the lion with lettuce for good luck in the new year, making it a perfect and memorable event for the whole family. Afternoon tea is priced at $135 per person. Reservations can be made here.
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840 E Grand Avenue (Aon Grand Ballroom) / Website
Date: Saturday, Jan. 28, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Celebrate the new year and AAPI cultures through the power of local AAPI performers. This afternoon music festival will feature food vendors, contemporary music performances, as well as local artists, dancers, and musicians. Performers are set to include Flying Fairies, Yin He Dance, Tuvergen Band, and PACF Performing Arts, as well as K-Pop performances by Chemical X, Prism Kru, and Helixx Crew. Join in this fun celebration of Chicago’s AAPI community. Free to attend
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2140 S Archer Avenue / Website
Date: Saturday, Jan. 21, 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Join the Chicago Chinese Cultural Institute for an evening of dumpling-making, storytelling and live lion dancing on the second floor of Hing Kee Restaurant. Founder of the Chicago Chinese Cultural Institute, Z.J. Tong, has led the event for over 15 years and this year’s event will be the first since the start of the pandemic. Bring the whole family to learn a new tradition and to nosh on a lineup of delicious foods. The event is priced starting at $38 per child 12 years old and under and $50 per adult. Tickets can be purchased here.
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78 E Washington Street / Website
Date: Sunday, Feb. 5, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Explore Preston Bradley Hall as it is completely transformed into a lively Chinese marketplace in celebration of the Lunar New Year. The marketplace will feature food, calligraphy, puppets, a selfie booth, and trinkets, as well as live entertainment like the lion dance and live music and dancing from talented Chicago performers. Free to attend
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5220 Fashion Outlets Way, Rosemont / Website
Date: Saturday, Jan. 21 to Sunday, Feb. 5
Head to Fashion Outlets of Chicago for special discounts and a day of crafts and activities. On Saturday, Jan. 21, the shopping center will celebrate the start of the new year with games, lantern crafting, Chinese calligraphy, and special cultural performances, all held in the food court starting at 1 p.m. To entertain guests, the Huaxing Arts Group will feature a children’s choir, Chinese yo-yo, two-string violinist, and kung fu demonstrations. Free to attend
Savvy shoppers will be excited to learn that traditional red envelopes will be passed to guests who visit Concierge Services between Saturday, Jan. 21 to Sunday, Feb. 5. Each free envelope will contain special Luna New Year offers and services from participating retailers, and a savings pass that will provide up to $800 in savings from Fashion Outlets’ retailers.
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110 W Illinois Street / Website
Date: Thursday, Jan. 19 to Tuesday, Feb. 14
Visit Sunda New Asian for a special menu of Lunar New Year specials, set to feature the best of Chinese cuisine. On the menu, find cumin lamb dumplings, seafood lo mein, pan-seared rainbow trout, and a ‘luck and wealth’ assortment of sweets. All specials will come with traditional red envelopes with gifts within. Be sure to visit on Thursday, Jan. 19 to usher in good luck for the new year with a lion dance performance at 7 p.m. Reservations can be made here.
Looking for more luxe stops in the city? Check out our picks for Where To Enjoy Dry January In Chicago.
Photography by: Paulo Evangelista / Unsplash
