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

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As the new year dawns, bringing hope and excitement, the Bay Area prepares to welcome the Year of the Horse, a time for reflection, growth, and new beginnings. Honoring rich traditions and vibrant cultural heritage, this celebration is a special opportunity for families to come together. Fortunately, the Bay Area offers a variety of family-friendly events that promise fun and enchantment for all ages. Here’s a look at some wonderful ways to celebrate the Year of the Horse with your loved ones!

Featured
San Rafael: Lunar New Year Hunt & Word Scramble Challenge
Feb 1
Downtown San Rafael
San Rafael: Lunar New Year Hunt & Word Scramble Challenge
Downtown San Rafael

Head to Downtown San Rafael to embrace the festive spirit, enjoy the art, and kick off the Year of the Horse for this galloping good time!

Downtown San Rafael
Pleasant Hill:
Feb 17
Pleasant Hill Library
Pleasant Hill:
Pleasant Hill Library

Celebrate the Year of the Horse at this exciting Lunar New Year show! A must-see lion dance performance by the talented crew from Tomizaki’s Champions Kung Fu Institute.

Pleasant Hill Library
San Jose Lunar New Year-Tet Festival
Feb 20
Eastridge Mall Sears Parking Lot
San Jose Lunar New Year-Tet Festival
Eastridge Mall Sears Parking Lot

TẾT FESTIVAL 2026! UStar Productions proudly presents the Largest Vietnamese Lunar New Year – Tết Festival in San Jose

Eastridge Mall Sears Parking Lot
Emeryville: San Francisco Bay Area Moms Lunar New Year
Feb 20
Bay Street Emeryville
Emeryville: San Francisco Bay Area Moms Lunar New Year
Bay Street Emeryville

Celebrate the Year of the Horse with fellow families and indulge in the cultural performances & activities.

Bay Street Emeryville
San Francisco: Celebrate Lunar New Year Weekend With Lion Dance Performance
Feb 21
Bodhi Meditation San Francisco USA
San Francisco: Celebrate Lunar New Year Weekend With Lion Dance Performance
Bodhi Meditation San Francisco USA

Make a wish, receive blessings, take photos, and reset your energy—step into a joyful Lunar New Year celebration filled with luck!

Bodhi Meditation San Francisco USA
San Anselmo: Lion Dance
Feb 21
Town Hall Plaza
San Anselmo: Lion Dance
Town Hall Plaza

Celebrate the year of the Horse and enjoy a traditional lion dance performance presented by the Marin Chinese Cultural Association. Bring everyone out for this special Lunar New Year event.

Town Hall Plaza
Oakland: Lunar New Year Celebration and Other Asian Traditions: Year of the Horse
Feb 21
Oakland Museum of California
Oakland: Lunar New Year Celebration and Other Asian Traditions: Year of the Horse
Oakland Museum of California

Gather with us at OMCA for our 25th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration. Celebrate and honor Lunar New Year traditions through family-friendly storytelling, performances, activities, and more!

Oakland Museum of California
San Jose: Santana Row Lunar New Year Celebrations
Feb 21
Santana Row
San Jose: Santana Row Lunar New Year Celebrations
Santana Row

Santana Row welcomes the Year of the Horse with Lunar New Year festivities for the whole family.

Santana Row
San Jose: Community Day: Lunar New Year
Feb 21
San Jose Museum of Art
San Jose: Community Day: Lunar New Year
San Jose Museum of Art

Welcome the Year of the Horse, with artmaking activities, cultural demonstrations, and live performances. This contemporary celebration honors Lunar New Year traditions commemorated around the globe and here in San José. Explore and create with family and friends in this multigenerational event.

San Jose Museum of Art
Milpitas: Lantern Blessing Festival
Feb 21
Bodhi Meditation Silicon Valley
Milpitas: Lantern Blessing Festival
Bodhi Meditation Silicon Valley

Get ready to light up the night with lanterns and blessings at the 2026 Lunar New Year Festival!

Bodhi Meditation Silicon Valley
San Francisco: Spring Festival
Feb 21
The Exploratorium
San Francisco: Spring Festival
The Exploratorium

Kick off the Year of the Horse with culture, creativity, and connection! Join us for a day of activities and crafts for the whole family. Hear real-life stories of rescue-to-hero horses.

The Exploratorium
San Francisco: Lunar New Year Celebration
Feb 21
Thrive City
San Francisco: Lunar New Year Celebration
Thrive City

Experience the vibrant colors, sounds, and flavors of Lunar New Year with family-friendly activities and delicious culinary delights.

Thrive City
Piedmont: Lunar New Year Lion Dance
Feb 21
Piedmont Library
Piedmont: Lunar New Year Lion Dance
Piedmont Library

Join us for a Lion Dance performance to bring good luck and prosperity to the Lunar New Year!

Piedmont Library
Oakland: Lunar New Year
Feb 21
Plaza by Plank
Oakland: Lunar New Year
Plaza by Plank

Jack London Square will be celebrating the “Year of the Horse” with a fun-filled Lunar New Year event on Saturday, February 21, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM located in the plaza near Plank. 

Plaza by Plank
Larkspur: Chinese New Year Lion Dance
Feb 21
Larkspur Library
Larkspur: Chinese New Year Lion Dance
Larkspur Library

The Marin Chinese Cultural Association's Lion Dancers will be back for a joyous celebration of the new year.

Larkspur Library
Sacramento: Lunar New Year Celebration
Feb 21
River Fox Train
Sacramento: Lunar New Year Celebration
River Fox Train

The River Fox Train invites you to a celebration welcoming the Year of the Fire Horse! 

River Fox Train
San Rafael: Lion Dance Performances
Feb 21
Yet Wah
San Rafael: Lion Dance Performances
Yet Wah

Performed by the Marin Chinese Cultural Association.

Yet Wah
Sebastopol: Peng You x Farmer Mai: Year of the Horse Lunar New Year Celebration
Feb 22
Green Valley Farm
Sebastopol: Peng You x Farmer Mai: Year of the Horse Lunar New Year Celebration
Green Valley Farm

The Peng You team will be popping up with Farmer Mai for a special Lunar New Year lunch at Green Valley Farm + Mill!

Green Valley Farm
Palo Alto: Lunar New Year Fair
Feb 22
Mitchell Park Community Center
Palo Alto: Lunar New Year Fair
Mitchell Park Community Center

Get ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year in style with traditional performances, delicious food, and vibrant cultural activities!

Mitchell Park Community Center
San Francisco: SFPD Mounted Unit Celebrate 2026 Chinese New Year
Feb 22
Portsmouth Square
San Francisco: SFPD Mounted Unit Celebrate 2026 Chinese New Year
Portsmouth Square

SFCVIC invites the SFPD Mounted Unit to celebrate the Chinese Horse Year.

Portsmouth Square
San Ramon: Lunar New Year Celebration
Feb 22
City Center Bishop Ranch
San Ramon: Lunar New Year Celebration
City Center Bishop Ranch

City Center Bishop Ranch welcomes the community to celebrate the Year of the Horse with an afternoon of vibrant cultural performances and festive displays.

City Center Bishop Ranch
San Jose: Lunar New Year Celebration: Multicultural Arts Festival
Feb 22
San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
San Jose: Lunar New Year Celebration: Multicultural Arts Festival
San Jose Center for the Performing Arts

Get Ready for an evening filled with vibrant performances, diverse cultures, and artistic expressions.

San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
San Francisco: Celebration: Drumbeats, Heartbeats: Community As One
Feb 24
San Francisco Main Library
San Francisco: Celebration: Drumbeats, Heartbeats: Community As One
San Francisco Main Library

Celebrating Lunar New Year and Black History Month!

San Francisco Main Library
San Francisco: Heartbeats Drumbeats: Community As One
Feb 24
Portola Library
San Francisco: Heartbeats Drumbeats: Community As One
Portola Library

The Library’s annual joint celebration of Black History Month and the Lunar New Year, returns to the Main Library.

Portola Library
Oakland: Children's Fairyland Lunar New Year
Feb 26
Children's Fairyland
Oakland: Children's Fairyland Lunar New Year
Children's Fairyland

Giddy-up! It’s time for a full gallop into the Year of the Fire Horse, also known as the Red Horse Year. Revered for its strength, perseverance, and limitless freedom, the Fire Horse is an emblem of innovation, progress, prosperity, and transformation. 

Children's Fairyland
Brentwood: Lunar New Year Festival
Feb 28
Downtown Brentwood
Brentwood: Lunar New Year Festival
Downtown Brentwood

Join the @chinesecc.hhs in celebrating the 2026 Lunar New Year Festival on Saturday, February 28, in Downtown Brentwood.

Downtown Brentwood
Oakland Chinatown's Lunar New Year Parade
Feb 28
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
Mountain View Lunar New Year
Feb 28
Mountain View Community Center
Mountain View Lunar New Year
Mountain View Community Center

This multicultural event will showcase traditional performances, hands-on crafts, engaging games, community booths, and a diverse array of delicious offerings from food trucks. Join us for a day of cultural celebration and connection with the community!

Mountain View Community Center
San Francisco: Lion Dance with West Coast Lion Dance Troupe
Feb 28
Ortega Library
San Francisco: Lion Dance with West Coast Lion Dance Troupe
Ortega Library

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

Ortega Library
Woodside: Lunar New Year Family Day
Feb 28
Filoli
Woodside: Lunar New Year Family Day
Filoli

The new year is a time for cultural traditions, family gatherings, and hopes for good fortune in the coming year. The festivities will include traditional Lion Dance performances, music performances, Filoli’s collection of Asian art and decor displayed throughout the Historic House, activities with local community partners, and much more!

Filoli
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