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.
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.
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:
- Asia Pacific Restaurant and Supermarket, 420 N. Pleasantburg Dr.
- Asian Supermarket, 30 Orchard Park Dr., Ste. 13
- Saigon Market, 1540 Wade Hampton Blvd., Ste. J
