Support Us Button Widget

How to celebrate Lunar New Year in Greenville, SC

Ring in the year of the dragon at these festivals and celebrations.

GVL_Lunar_New_Year_JAN2023

Red envelopes (stuffed with money) are a traditional Chinese gift during Lunar New Year. | Photo by @swamprabbitcafe

Table of Contents

Happy (almost) Lunar New Year. This Saturday, Feb. 10, one of the biggest celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures begins, and Greenville is ready to party.

China’s Lunar New Year is known as the Spring Festival or Chūnjié in Mandarin, while Koreans call it Seollal and the Vietnamese refer to it as Tết. No matter what it’s called, it’s always rung in with the first new moon and spans the first 15 days of the first month of the lunar calendar, until the full moon arrives.

Here’s where you can celebrate in Greenville:

Lunar New Year Celebration | Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery, 205 Cedar Lane Rd.

GVL_Lunar_New_Year_Swamp_Rabbit_JAN2023

Pro tip: Start the party at Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery before hitting Sum Bar’s festival to maximize the Lunar New Year fun. | Photo by @swamprabbitcafe

Saturday, Feb. 17 | 3-7 p.m. | Free entry | Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with bites from The Noodle Lady + Salome’s Philippino Cuisine, watch the Greenville Chinese Cultural Association perform a dragon dance, enjoy traditional Asian specials in the cafe, and you may get lucky with red envelope giveaways throughout the day.

Lunar New Year Festival | Sum Bar, 307 E. Washington St.

GVL_Lunar_New_Year_AAPI_Festival_May2023

There’s something for everyone. | Photo by Sum Bar

Saturday, Feb. 17 | 12-7 p.m. | Free entry | Celebrate Sum Bar’s first anniversary and Lunar New Year with local vendors, local food pop-ups, and entertainment for the entire family.

Celebrate at home

Bring Lunar New Year to you by stocking up on supplies at one of these local Greenville businesses:

More from GVLtoday
After years of trying to get Hallmark to film a holiday movie in our city, VisitGreenvilleSC is stepping in to help with a new holiday short film + petition.
Our friends at Greenville Water put together a helpful list of ways to prevent your pipes from freezing in Greenville
Greenville is made up of so many wonderful small businesses, here are a few our readers love in honor of Small Business Saturday.
In what she calls her “favorite day of the year, every year,” award-winning Chef Dayna Lee organizes a community meal at Comal 864 for people looking for food and fellowship on Thanksgiving Day.
Taking the train isn’t just for commuters — it’s also a method of leisure travel that’s growing in popularity.
We’re re-imagining this annual parade to be entirely themed after Greenville.
Discover Greenville’s late-night dining spots, from bagels and pizza to pub fare and desserts, perfect for post-11 p.m. cravings.
Whether your neighborhood is sweet or savory, cheesy or carby, we put together a list of Greenville suburbs as Thanksgiving sides to liven up your family dinner.
The Picklr is coming to the North Hills Shopping Center in early 2025 and will feature a pro shop, event space, and grab-and-go food and drinks.
We’re a short drive from some of the best trees in the US, and we’ve rounded up 10+ Christmas tree farms where you can pick your perfect pine.