The always popular Flower Festival is now opening daily at the Asian Garden Mall for shopping ahead of the Lunar New Year.
It is traditional among Asian communities to buy flowers and plants to decorate homes and as gifts for the holiday.
Orchids, hoa mai trees and bromeliads are popular blooms this time of year. Each color, each flower represents a message of good tidings and good luck for the new year.
The daily outdoor market in the heart of Little Saigon will be open through Feb. 15. It typically heralds the start of Lunar New Year celebrations in Orange County, with several events planned in the next few weeks welcoming in the Year of the Horse. Area shopping centers that serve large Asian communities have special events planned, as does Disneyland, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and other OC destinations.
The new year, as tracked by the first new moon of the lunar calendar, is Feb. 17.
The Flower Festival will be open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. In the evenings on Thursdays through Sundays there will be street food for sale. Information: asiangardenmall.com. And here are more community events for celebrating:
Feb. 7
Irvine: For the first time, a Lunar New Year parade will be hosted at the Great Park. Starting at 11 a.m. on Feb. 7, the parade will travel along the park’s historic timeline walkway (between Parking Lot 4 and Great Park Live). From noon to 4:30 p.m., there will be an accompanying festival with live performances, games, activities, food vendors and more. The parade is free; festival admission is $2 (kids under 3 are free). The events are sponsored in part by the Asian American Museum of Orange County, which will be opening at the Great Park in the future. Festival tickets must be purchased in advance; for tickets and information: asianamericanmuseumoc.org.
Fountain Valley: The city will host a morning celebration with cultural performances, activities and crafts, history displays and more. The 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. event on Sept. 7 will be at the Fountain Valley Recreation Center — the traditional lion dance is planned for 11:15 a.m.
Santa Ana: The city hosts its third annual Tết Lunar New Year Festival at Centennial Park, 3000 W. Edinger Ave. The 1 to 6 p.m. celebration on Feb. 7 will feature cultural performances and other live entertainment, food vendors, a scavenger hunt, a library lane and other resources during the free event. Vinfast will host a car show. A lion and dragon dance by Qing Wei and a fireworks show end the day of entertainment. Information: santa-ana.org/tet-lunar-new-year-festival
Feb. 9
UC Irvine: The university celebration will feature cultural games, arts and crafts, musical and dance performances, a dragon parade and food. Janet Yang, an award-winning Hollywood producer and past president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will hold a discussion. Attendance at the Feb. 9 events is free and open to the public. Guest parking is available for $10 in the Student Center Parking Structure, near Pereira and West Peltason drives. The event is 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Student Center’s Pacific Ballroom and at 1:30 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre and plaza. Information: socsci.uci.edu
Yorba Linda: The Nixon Presidential Library & Museum is celebrating the Year of the Horse with a vibrant event on Feb. 9 featuring traditional music and dance, as well as food. New this year is a cultural fair from 4 to 6 p.m. Performances begin at 6 p.m. in the East Room. General admission is $55. Information: nixonfoundation.org
Feb. 13-15
Garden Grove: UVSA Tết Festival, one of Little Saigon’s largest celebrations of the Lunar New Year, will be hosted this year at Golden West College. The Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California has been organizing the Tết Festival for more than 40 years. The Feb. 13-15 event will be filled with cultural performances, entertainment, Vietnamese food, contests and more. A replica of a traditional Vietnamese village will share with visitors the life and architecture of a rural community. Cost is $10; wear traditional Vietnamese dress, a military or Boy Scout uniform from noon to 1 p.m. on Feb. 14 for free admission. Hours are 4-10 p.m. on Feb. 13; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Feb. 14; and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Feb. 15. Information: tetfestival.org
Garden Grove: The city’s Historic Main Street will be transformed for the annual Flower Street Festival with elaborate floral displays and cultural exhibits. The three-day event is modeled after the Nguyen Hue Flower Street festival that draws millions of visitors each year in Vietnam. There will also be the Miss Asian Heritage Pageant, traditional performances, country folk games for children, food and more. The festival is free and open to the public, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 13-15. Information: vsasocal.org
Feb. 16
Garden Grove: The community is invited to a Lunar New Year’s Eve celebration from 2 to 5 p.m. on Feb. 16 at the Advanced Beauty College, 10121 Westminster Ave. The Little Saigon institution’s annual event will feature several cultural and musical performances, live animals relating to Tet, educational and cultural booths and more.
Feb. 17
Westminster: The Asian Garden Mall will ring in the new year with its Firecracker Show at noon on Feb. 17. Along with the traditional lighting of firecrackers, there will be music and a lion dance and more. Information: asiangardenmall.com
Feb. 21
Tustin: The South Coast Chinese Cultural Center and Irvine Co. are hosting a Golden Gathering with lion dancing, traditional entertainment, martial arts demonstrations and family activities from noon to 3 p.m. on Feb. 21 at The Market Place, 2961 El Camino Real
Westminster: The annual Tết parade through the heart of Little Saigon is broadcast around the world on Vietnamese-language TV stations and social media platforms. The 9:30 a.m. parade will march down Bolsa Avenue between Magnolia and Bushard streets on Feb. 21, featuring dozens of floats, marching bands, lion dancers, community groups and more. Information: westminster-ca.gov
Feb. 22
Irvine: The Woodbury Town Center will host a Lunar New Year Night Market from 4 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 22 with more than 20 food booths as well as K-pop music and a drone show.
Feb. 28
Newport Beach: There will be a Fire Horse Wishing Workshop within the Garden of Good Fortune at Fashion Island near the Nordstrom with live calligraphy demonstrations presented by the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center, crafts and cultural performances from noon to 3 p.m. on Feb. 28. The China National Tourist Office Los Angeles will host the pop-up experience “Chinese New Year: Discover Winter China” between Nordstrom and Macy’s.
March 1
Irvine: Head over to the Irvine Spectrum Center from noon until 4 p.m. on March 1 for lion dances, martial arts demonstrations, live music and more, presented by the Irvine Chinese School. Information: irvinespectrumcenter.com/events-promotions/lunar-new-year-celebration-irvine