Welcome to the Year of the Dragon: Family Events in the Bay Area

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As we embark on a new year filled with hope and excitement, the Bay Area gears up to celebrate the arrival of the most auspicious and majestic zodiac sign - the Year of the Dragon. Known for its power, wisdom, and good fortune, the Year of the Dragon is a highly anticipated occasion for families to come together and revel in the rich cultural heritage of the Chinese community. Fortunately, the Bay Area offers a plethora of family events that promise to enchant and delight both young and old. So, let's explore some of the fantastic ways you can celebrate the Year of the Dragon with your loved ones!

Featured
Downtown San Rafael Lunar New Year Snake Hunt & Word Scramble Challenge
Jan 24
Downtown San Rafael
Downtown San Rafael Lunar New Year Snake Hunt & Word Scramble Challenge
Downtown San Rafael

Join us in ushering in the Year of the Snake with this colorful celebration in Downtown San Rafael with our 2nd Annual "Snake Hunt & Word Scramble Challenge"!

Downtown San Rafael
The Peking Acrobats
Feb 4
Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
The Peking Acrobats
Luther Burbank Center for the Arts

The Peking Acrobats® perform daring maneuvers with technical prowess that pushes the limits of human ability and defies gravity with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility, and control.

Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
San Jose Lunar New Year-Tet Festival
Feb 7
Eastridge Mall Sears Parking Lot
San Jose Lunar New Year-Tet Festival
Eastridge Mall Sears Parking Lot

It’s a holiday season! We, UStar Productions, proud to bring to you the largest Vietnamese Lunar New Year-Tet Festival in San Jose for 3 days on Feb 16th, 17th, and 18th 2024 at EASTRIDGE CENTER, former Sears parking space/Hello Ben Thanh in the future at corner of Quimby & Tully road.

Eastridge Mall Sears Parking Lot
Second Saturday Lunar New Year Celebration
Feb 8
Gamble Garden
Second Saturday Lunar New Year Celebration
Gamble Garden

Gamble Garden welcomes you to spend a beautiful February morning with us!

Gamble Garden
West Coast Lion Dance Troupe
Feb 8
Ortega Library
West Coast Lion Dance Troupe
Ortega Library

Ring in the Year of the Snake with a traditional lion dance from the West Coast Lion Dance Troupe.

Ortega Library
Chinese Lantern and Year of the Snake Puppets
Feb 8
North Beach Library
Chinese Lantern and Year of the Snake Puppets
North Beach Library

Craft together with your little one to make something beautiful. Celebrate the Year of the Snake with Paper Plate Puppets and handmade lanterns. For ages 3–7.

North Beach Library
Lunar New Year Celebration and Other Asian Traditions: Year of the Dragon
Feb 8
Oakland Museum of California
Lunar New Year Celebration and Other Asian Traditions: Year of the Dragon
Oakland Museum of California

Gather with us at OMCA for our 24th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration. Celebrate and honor Lunar New Year traditions through family-friendly storytelling, performances, activities, and more.

Oakland Museum of California
Second Saturdays 'Round the World
Feb 8
Union Square
Second Saturdays 'Round the World
Union Square

Experience the many cultural traditions represented in San Francisco through a day of themed music, dance performance, and crafts! The series kicks off on February 8 with a Lunar New Year celebration featuring performances by Lion Dance Me, a free paper lantern craft, and more TBA.

Union Square
Lunar New Year Lion Dance Performance
Feb 8
Mill Valley Public Library
Lunar New Year Lion Dance Performance
Mill Valley Public Library

Welcome the Year of the Snake with this exciting lion dance performance from the Marin Chinese Cultural Association Lion Dance Team!

Mill Valley Public Library
Lion Dance
Feb 8
Little Footprints Preschool
Lion Dance
Little Footprints Preschool

Ring in the Year of the Snake with a traditional lion dance from the West Coast Lion Dance Troupe.

Little Footprints Preschool
Lunar New Year Paper Wand Streamers
Feb 8
Excelsior Library
Lunar New Year Paper Wand Streamers
Excelsior Library

Make paper wand streamer to ring in the Year of the Snake. Stay after to watch a traditional lion dance from the West Coast Lion Dance Troupe. For children and their families. 

Excelsior Library
Lunar New Year Celebration @Central
Feb 8
Central Library
Lunar New Year Celebration @Central
Central Library

Celebrate the Year of the Snake!

Central Library
Lion Dance
Feb 8
Excelsior Library
Lion Dance
Excelsior Library

Ring in the Year of the Snake with a traditional lion dance from the West Coast Lion Dance Troupe.

Excelsior Library
Lunar New Year Celebration
Feb 8
Stonestown Galleria
Lunar New Year Celebration
Stonestown Galleria

Shed last year’s woes and slither into the Year of the Snake! Join us on February 8 at 2PM in Center Court for a Lunar New Year celebration featuring a lion dance, martial arts exhibition, drum performance, and more.

Stonestown Galleria
West Coast Lion Dance Troupe
Feb 8
Bayview/Linda Brooks-Burton
West Coast Lion Dance Troupe
Bayview/Linda Brooks-Burton

Ring in the Year of the Snake with a traditional lion dance from the West Coast Lion Dance Troupe.

Bayview/Linda Brooks-Burton
West Coast Lion Dance Troupe
Feb 8
Visitacion Valley Library
West Coast Lion Dance Troupe
Visitacion Valley Library

Ring in the Year of the Snake with a traditional lion dance from the West Coast Lion Dance Troupe.

Visitacion Valley Library
San Francisco Symphony Presents Lunar New Year: Year of the Snake
Feb 8
Davies Symphony Hall
San Francisco Symphony Presents Lunar New Year: Year of the Snake
Davies Symphony Hall

Welcome the Year of the Snake with the San Francisco Symphony!

Davies Symphony Hall
MCCA Chinese New Year Celebration Dinner
Feb 8
San Rafael Community Center
MCCA Chinese New Year Celebration Dinner
San Rafael Community Center

Mark Your Calendars for the MCCA Chinese New Year Dinner!!

San Rafael Community Center
Lunar New Year Family Day
Feb 9
Filoli
Lunar New Year Family Day
Filoli

Celebrate Lunar New Year with your loved ones at our Lunar New Year-themed Family Day. Enjoy traditional Chinese Lion Dance performances in the Garden and a Lunar New Year story time.

Filoli
Lantern Festival 2025 in Oakland Chinatown
Feb 9
Pacific Renaissance Plaza
Lantern Festival 2025 in Oakland Chinatown
Pacific Renaissance Plaza

Join us at the Lantern Festival 2025 in Oakland Chinatown for a magical night of food, performances, maker market and all ages fun!

Pacific Renaissance Plaza
Community Street Fair
Feb 15
Community Street Fair
Community Street Fair
Community Street Fair

Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of San Francisco’s exhilarating Chinatown during one of the community’s most exciting times of the year.

Community Street Fair
Sunnyvale OMG Lantern Festival
Feb 15
Cityline Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale OMG Lantern Festival
Cityline Sunnyvale

Come to the 2025 Sunnyvale OMG Lantern Festival, where ancient traditions and modern festivities come together to create a unique and memorable experience.

Cityline Sunnyvale
Chinese New Year Parade Viewing Party
Feb 15
Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco
Chinese New Year Parade Viewing Party
Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco

Join KQED Live and The Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco for an exclusive viewing party at the Portsmouth Square Bridge, where you’ll have a prime spot to enjoy the colorful and vibrant Chinese New Year’s Parade. 

Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco
Chinese New Year Parade
Feb 15
Chinese New Year Parade
Chinese New Year Parade
Chinese New Year Parade

Named one of the top ten Parades in the world by International Festivals & Events Association, the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco is one of the few remaining night illuminated Parades in North America and the biggest parade celebrating the lunar new year outside of Asia.

Chinese New Year Parade
Crafternoon: Slithery Spiral Snake
Feb 19
San Anselmo Library
Crafternoon: Slithery Spiral Snake
San Anselmo Library

Come celebrate the year of the snake and make a spiral snake craft!

San Anselmo Library
Oakland Lunar New Year Parade
Feb 22
Wilma Chan Park
Oakland Lunar New Year Parade
Wilma Chan Park

OCIC hosts the Oakland Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade.

Wilma Chan Park
Oakland Chinatown's Lunar New Year Parade
Feb 22
Wilma Chan Park
Oakland Chinatown's Lunar New Year Parade
Wilma Chan Park

Bring your enthusiasm, come dressed in your most festive outfits, and support the community!

Wilma Chan Park
Lunar New Year Celebration: Multicultural Arts Festival
Feb 22
San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
Lunar New Year Celebration: Multicultural Arts Festival
San Jose Center for the Performing Arts

Welcome to the 16th CPAA Spring Festival Silicon Valley and the 2nd Multicultural Arts Festival! Get ready for an evening filled with the beauty of various art forms, from dance to music, showcasing the rich tapestry of cultures.

San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
Lunar New Year 5K/10K Run/Walk
Mar 2
Portsmouth Square Garage
Lunar New Year 5K/10K Run/Walk
Portsmouth Square Garage

The Chinatown YMCA CCHP Lunar New Year Run gives participants a rare opportunity to run through San Francisco Chinatown’s historic (and slightly hilly) streets, taking in the architecture, scents, and sounds of a bustling and vibrant community.

Portsmouth Square Garage