There’s no better place to celebrate Lunar New Year in Atlanta than Atlantic Station! During their annual celebration of the East Asian holiday, Atlantic Station gets a full makeover with Lunar New Year-themed decor, lanterns, colors and lights!
Atlantic Station’s transformation begins in late January, with a nightly lantern show that leads up to the main event: the joyful Lunar New Year Festival on Saturday, Feb. 10 from noon to 4 p.m.
From late January through Monday, Feb. 12, come to Atlantic Station to experience an enchanting display of lights, music and visuals at the top of every hour from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the Atlantic Green.
The nightly Lunar New Year show features a beautifully designed, 90-foot-long dragon with over 25,000 lights, known as a Chinese symbol of good fortune, emerging from a cloud of fog near Atlantic Green. Guests can also expect to see more than 400 red lanterns illuminating the area for a special lantern show to honor the spiritual tradition that celebrates the reunion of loved ones.
And for the main event!
On Saturday, February 10, Atlantic Station invites the community to the Atlantic Green for the annual Lunar New Year Festival from noon to 4 p.m.
Kick off the festivities with a captivating Lion Dance from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a mesmerizing Kung Fu/Tai Chi performance from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Lion Dance is a meaningful ritual and art form in Chinese tradition believed to bring good luck and fortune in the new year and drive away evil spirits. Stick around to make symbolic crafts and even sit with a numerologist who will use your birthdate to study energetic influences and offer insight and predictions on your life.
For more information, check out Atlantic Station’s website!
A little about Lunar New Year
Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, can be traced back approximately 3,500 years ago and is one of the most significant festivals in Chinese and East Asian cultures to celebrate the start of a new year. The years are marked in cycles of 12, with each year represented by a rotation of animals based on the tale of a “Great Race” of animals by the Jade Emperor. This year, Lunar New Year falls on Saturday, Feb. 10, making it the Year of the Dragon, symbolizing power, success, honor and luck.
Happy New Year, Atlanta!