Experience the Magic of Lunar New Year in Houston: Top Rated Events
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When I was researching things to do in Houston for the Lunar New Year, all I came across was articles with spotty information, so I’m here to fix that. Things to Do in Houston Today | 365 Things to Do in Houston (365thingsinhouston.com), or the Houston Chronicle are the main sources for current events in Houston (no promo or affiliation). Maybe, with this article I can out do them on this particular subject. Regardless, the cons of these articles is that there is never much detail on the event itself. It gives basic details like the location, time, and general words like “food vendors, performance” or what have you. I’m here to change this, because you cannot summarize events like this into three words. Lunar New Year celebrations will slip by by the time you’ve determined what event will please and excite you and your loved ones.
1. Discovery Green
I loved loved loved this. Fun fact, Discovery Green is a non-profit park (you can donate here), and it is not city run. They hold many events through year and this one has been an annual hit. They host it on or around January 22nd. Discovery Green, with its beautiful view of downtown has a stage where Chinese, Korean and even Indonesian performances go on from 5-7:30 PM (if you stay for the last act). Most were from Houston Dance School | Dance Of Asian America | Houston (danceaa.org), and it was chilling to see traditions from my culture be honored and carried down from generation to generation. It can be a little chilly, but not unbearable. Make sure to get their early to get a good seat because it is crowded (as seen below on my TikTok). The performances were exciting, beautiful, and always kept me guessing. The crowd dies down as it gets darker (a lot of people leave after their kids performed). Sadly, there weren’t many vendors this year except for coffee, so we made our way to Chinatown (20 minutes west- Bellaire) afterwards.
Parking– was $20 nearby, or you can park a bit further away for cheaper ($5-10) or free and take the METRORail within downtown to either the Main Street Sq. NB stop (Red line) or the Convention District EB (green line). The tram is clean and free (ok it’s $1.25 so definitely pay because it’s the rules *wink wink*- I do not promote illegal activity).
Pictures/Videos-
Overall-
Not very interactive but an amazing show with great narration. I would recommend based on your preference!
2. The Ion
If you’re looking for something more interactive, the Ion might be for you! Have Nice Day hosts this at the Ion (4201 Main St, Houston, TX 77002) every year. They’re a group that advocates for the AAPI communities in Houston (check out their link)! There is plenty of parking, and there are vendors outside the building and inside. On the outside, there are fresh food vendors, and on the inside, they decorate it with lanterns. When you walk in the building there are venders everywhere. The Ion, pictured right, features a performance area in the center and a higher level surrounding it. The vendors are lined around the railing (grey balcony looking rectangle in the background in the picture on the right) and also to the sides of the building. The options range from boba, crocheted gifts, to terrariums. There is plenty to explore and also a few bakeries to try! Most of these vendors are local businesses, so this even gives them an opportunity to grow and interact, and you get the opportunity to learn more about the AAPI businesses and other POC community businesses in Houston that make it special. It was so fun to look at all the hand-crafted food, pottery, concrete, and many many other vendors and support those businesses. It is open from 4-8pm and at 6:00 pm, Nu Vuong Hoa Binh, the dance group, performs the Lunar New Year lion dances. This is by far my favorite lion dance. I won’t spoil it, but it is longer than most, featuring a large color array of lions, and at the end they go outside for a fire performance ;). I loved going to the Ion, it is more interactive than the other events. I will list some of the vendors below as well as their links!
Vendors-
From the slides in order: Little Cherry Toys (handmade and woman-owned), Ube Co. (Filipino and woman owned), Aleng Nina’s, Meo Sweets and Sips, Dumpling Haus, Nissa Crafts (I love their website <3)), Ms. Moss Potter, Coco and Palm Trees.
Others I bought from or were not featured in the slides above:
* All in no particular order! (Some of my pictures came out sub-par and that’s why some are not featured😅.)
To find more information about these vendors please CLICK HERE!
There were more but I did not get all of their business cards. Check out my Tik Tok on them and let me know if there are any you recognize that I missed!
Parking– As I said the Ion has plenty of designated, gated parking, and it’s FREE. So many events I go to, my friends and I pay so much to park so this was definitely a perk. Now, do not come for me if it is not free in 2024. I CAN NOT guarantee that so don’t come for me. Ok have fun and Happy Lunar New Year!
Pictures/Videos-
Overall-
A lot more interactive, but less cultural information. The BEST lion dances! I will add the event informational link HERE when it comes out for 2024. I think the Ion will appeal to most age groups, and you definitely won’t be disappointed. I recommend this event for everyone!
3. Money Cat
This was actually the first event I went to, so no expectations, but after the other 3 it wasn’t the best. Money Cat is a new Japanese restaurant in Kirby Grove. Don’t mistake me, it’s a very nice restaurant but not what I usually prefer. The food was high class, per say, but very expensive yet very small proportions. We were not sure what to expect, but it was merely a restaurant that had lion dances. I’m not sure who performed them because the inside of the restaurant was dark, but there were only 3 lions that go around the restaurant. The event was on January 21st, so it was a bit early of a celebration. I am not sure if this is an annual event since Money Cat is new, so I will update this article next year.
Parking– Money Cat is on the ground floor of what I think is a large office like building or maybe it’s a hotel ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. There’s valet parking, but I believe that was for something next door.
Be prepared to parallel park (I CANNOT) if you want to be close ;-;
Pictures/Videos- edited for visual aide, not everything is what it seems!!
Overall-
Money Cat is great if you like a high-end seasonal menu atmosphere and want to spend the money or if you’re a family looking for something indoors and to the point. However, as a Lunar New Year celebration, it was more of an addition to a restaurant experience. Do not send hate to them or their chefs, they’re an exceptional restaurant, just not my preference and not what most people look for in a celebration. Also, I’m in college so my spending budget for food is about 10 dollars which is why I love cooking at home, but it was refreshing to go out to a restaurant as it is every once in a while.
4. Karbach Otaku Food festival
No. On Instagram, this looked great, but it ended up being a huge disappointment. Karbach is a brewing company and restaurant, so the people there to watch some football game and enjoy the brewery/restaurant were mixing with the people there for the food festival. To say it was crowded was an understatement. Also, it’s outdoor, and this time of the year it recently rained and was SO muddy. On top of that, the lines were SO LONG (pictured below). I was annoyed to say the least. There were not many vendor options, and nothing stood out to us. I’m not saying the vendors were disappointing, but it was too typical of an “Asian festival”. There were vendors selling anime merch, dogs with socks, and utter chaos. I left within 15 minutes.
Parking– Karbach has no designated parking so be prepared to drive around for 10 minutes. Most businesses around Karbach are aware of this issue and put signs up threatening towing so be careful if you do go.
Pictures/Videos-
Overall-
I was overwhelmed and frustrated with this. AGAIN, THIS WAS NOT BECAUSE OF THE VENDORS!! It was the conditions that weren’t the best. On a positive note, it led me to find the other beautiful events I went to 🙂
Conclusion
Again, please click on this link to support local vendors! As a Houston based blogger and first generation Korean American, these events mean a lot to me. Houston is a special place because so many cultures coexist, and I encourage you, whether you live her or are passing through, to be open minded and go see what Houston’s diverse cultural community has to offer. I’ve found many friends this way, and gotten to know not only the community, but the backbone of Houston’s economy. I made this article primary to give you a visual of what Lunar New Year activities Houston offers, and for you to decide what you’d like to do with a clear understanding, instead of hoping a vague description cuts it. Secondly, I wrote this article, a bit out of my norm, to give you exposure to the Asian-American community here in Houston. I hope this article helps you out, and if you’d like more insight on the businesses I listed, please click here (they’d appreciate as much as I do).
Happy Lunar New Year, the year of the water rabbit- 새해 복 많이 받으세요! 🌕
**Based on 2023 experience, subject to change
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