Santana Row to Host Lunar New Year Event
A Lunar New Year celebration will be held at Santana Row on February 21st. The event is free, open to all ages, and will feature traditional festivities and cultural performances to welcome the new year.
- The 2026 Lunar New Year, which officially begins on February 17, celebrates the Year of the Horse. The Horse is the seventh animal in the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle and is associated with enthusiasm, freedom, and energy. - This specific celebration takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Santana Row Park and is hosted by NBC Bay Area. - Festivities will include traditional lion dances, a variety of cultural performances, and arts and crafts activities. - As part of the celebration, retailer Sugarfina will be distributing red envelopes containing gifts and special offers, while supplies last. - The 2026 iteration of the Year of the Horse is specifically the "Fire Horse," a combination that occurs only once every 60 years and is considered a high-energy year that rewards courage and decisive action. - The Santana Row event is one of many Lunar New Year celebrations across San Jose, which is home to a large Vietnamese community that celebrates the holiday, known as Tết, with events like the San Jose Tết Festival. - Public Lunar New Year celebrations have a long history in the Bay Area, with the first recorded public festivities in San Francisco dating back to the 1850s, shortly after Chinese immigrants arrived during the Gold Rush.
