By Molly Given
This season, there are a variety of special occasions celebrating the Year of the Fire Horse, leading up to the Lunar New Year in Philadelphia. To celebrate the festive holiday, Philly spots are hosting special events and delicious treats. Here are a few places to celebrate in 2026.
Philadelphia Orchestra
To celebrate the Lunar New Year and welcome the Year of the Fire Horse, the Philadelphia Orchestra is partnering with China’s Central Conservatory of Music for a two-day musical exchange in Philadelphia.
Assistant Conductor Naomi Woo will lead the Orchestra with soloists from the CCOM—erhu virtuoso and President Yu Hongmei and pipa virtuoso Zhang Hongyan—in a Lunar New Year Concert this Wednesday (Jan. 28) at Marian Anderson Hall (7:30 p.m.) The next day, (Jan. 29), the Orchestra will also host the CCOM Orchestra for a free Spring Festival concert at the Perelman Theater (7 p.m.)
The Lunar New Year concert will feature pieces from Li Huanzhi’s ‘Spring Festival Overture’; Chan Ka Nin’s ‘Welcoming Spring’; Selections from Tan Dun’s ‘Crouching Tiger Concerto’ and more. The concert at the Perelman Theater will be led under the direction of conductor Liu Sha, and feature several pieces with a diverse array of traditional Chinese instruments, including bamboo flutes, sheng, yangqin, guzheng, banhu, pipa and erhu.
philorch.ensembleartsphilly.org
Penn Museum
Back for its 45th year, the Penn Museum will once again host a CultureFest! Lunar New Year celebration in partnership with the American Center for Asian Students and Penn’s Center for East Asian Studies. The day will be packed with live traditional and contemporary dance performances, storytelling, art-making, educational workshops, Tai Chi, and a marketplace. Highlights include a “Dotting the Eye” Ceremony and a Lion Dance Finale from Lee’s Lion Club in the Warden Garden at 3:50 pm. All CultureFest! events are included with admission, and as a welcome gift, each visiting group or family will receive a lucky red envelope containing a special offer from the museum shop.
The Museum’s celebration is set for this Saturday, Jan. 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
3260 South St., penn.museum
Luk Fu
Luk Fu in Live! Casino & Hotel will be celebrating the Year of the Fire Horse with a special menu, where each ingredient has been thoughtfully chosen to represent blessings and good fortune for the year ahead. From Feb. 1 to 28, Philadelphians can order up bites like a New Year Stir Fry, Braised Pork Trotters and Pan-Seared Whole Pompano, plus specialty sips like a Zodiac Charger, Prosperity Welcome Tea and more. The venue will also be decked out with themed decor, and reservations can be made via OpenTable.
900 Packer Ave., livech.com
Ember & Ash
Ember & Ash will be welcoming Gabriella’s Vietnam for a live-fire collaboration dinner in honor of the Lunar New Year on Feb. 17. The experience will be celebrating “Fire & Fortune” and the multi-course feast will be served family style. As a release describes, the dinner will begin with a round of street-food-inspired bites, followed by a traditional Good Fortune soup. From there, guests can expect a wide selection of meat, seafood, vegetables, noodles, and rice, all meant to be shared and explored together. The meal will end with a traditional Lunar New Year dessert, and there will also be specially themed cocktails available as well.
There will be staggered seatings available throughout the evening, beginning at 5 p.m. The experience costs $75 per person, and spots can be reserved via Resy.
1520 East Passyunk Ave., emberandashphilly.com
Dilworth Park
On Feb. 21, locals can head to Dilworth Park for a Lunar New Year Celebration presented by Temple University. From 5 to 7 p.m., the venue will feature a prancing lion, traditional Chinese dancers, and a special menu at the Rothman Orthopaedics Cabin. Ice skating sessions will be available throughout the evening.
1 S 15th St., centercityphila.org
Franklin Square
Franklin Square’s Lunar New Year celebration will be in full swing on Feb. 21. The evening kicks off with performances from the Philly Suns Lion Dancers at 5 p.m., and will continue through 7 p.m. with children’s crafts with the Asian Arts Initiative, red envelope surprise giveaways, and a free dumpling workshop with Michael Chow from Sang Kee.
200 N 6th St., historicphiladelphia.org
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
This seaside locale will be throwing a Lunar New Year celebration on Feb. 21. The event will be chock full of lion dancers, live Chinese singers and a full slate of drawings and giveaways—including gift cards for every invited guest, a drawing for over $188,000 in prizes, several bottles of Louis XII “The Drop” and more. The property will also be decked out with hand-painted Koi fish, cherry blossom trees, lanterns, giant red envelopes and more to commemorate the occasion.
In addition to the Lunar New Year activations, guests are also invited to dine at Borgata’s new pan-Asian restaurant, Noodles, and check out Borgata’s newly reimagined Asian Gaming space.
1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, New Jersey, borgata.mgmresorts.com