Celebrate the Year of the Snake with Chicago Lunar New Year Events

By Keegan Morris |

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Chicago Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade, February 2016 (Photo: erikccooper, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Out with the dragon, in with the snake.

The Year of the Snake begins with the Lunar New Year on January 29, 2025.

Celebrations abound in and around Chicago, with performances and festivities from Chinese, Mongolian, Indonesian, Thai, Korean, and Filipino traditions, to name a few.


World Music Wednesdays: Lunar New Year Celebration

1/22: Old Town School, suggested donation: $10.00

The Old Town School of Folk Music’s weekly series teams up with the Chinese Fine Arts Society for an immersive, interdisciplinary performance in the Lincoln Square neighborhood.

Evanston Lunar New Year Celebration

1/26: Evanston, free

The Evanston ASPA (Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander American community) oversees this free celebration of the Year of the Snake featuring interactive activities and performances.

A Loooooooong Celebration: Lunar New Year Show

2/1: Heritage Museum of Asian Art, from $35.00

A festive farewell to the Year of the Dragon at Bridgeport’s Heritage Museum of Asian Art. The celebration features live music and refreshments. Contributors include multidisciplinary artist Lili Xie, Mongolian music duo Hun Hazy, and Chicago group Friends of the Gamelan, an Indonesian musical tradition.

Global Connections: Lunar New Year

2/1: Navy Pier, free

Navy Pier’s free celebration takes place at the Aon Grand Ballroom and features collaborations with Korean Performing arts Institute of Chicago, the Filipino American Historical Society of Chicago, the Thai Cultural and Fine Arts Institute, the Chinese Fine Arts Society, and more.

Successor: Lunar New Year Screening presented by Asian Pop-Up Cinema

2/2: Chicago Cultural Center, free

The Chicago Cultural Center screens Successor, an acclaimed and hilarious 2024 Chinese film about “helicopter parents who turn their son's life into The Truman Show.”

Argyle Lunar New Year Celebration

2/8: Argyle, free

Dating back 40+ years, Uptown’s Argyle commercial corridor hosts a day of festivities that is headlined by a 1pm parade taking off from Argyle and Sheridan.

Chicago Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade

2/9: Chinatown, free

Chicago’s Chinatown ushers in the Year of the Snake with its annual parade, which begins at 1:00 pm on the corner of 24th St. and Wentworth. Floats, music, and dance are among the many attractions that make this celebration beloved.