Ring In The Year Of the Horse At Evanston's 2026 Lunar New Year Celebration

EVANSTON, IL —This year's Lunar New Year celebration in Evanston will take place on Feb. 15 at Evanston SPACE.

The free community event will celebrate the Year of the Horse with activities, speakers and a traditional Lion Dance performed by the Chinese Mutual Aid Association.

"Celebrating Lunar New Year is so important because it recognizes and honors the contributions of Asian American communities, fosters inclusivity, promotes awareness and understanding of diverse traditions, and creates a sense of belonging for the more than 10% of Evanston residents who identify as Asian," said Melissa Molitor of Evanston ASPA. "These community-wide events also enrich our city's arts and cultural landscape, adding vibrancy and diversity to the community, and drawing people into our business districts, thereby supporting our city's economic development."

The schedule of events begins at 11 a.m. when doors open and guests can enjoy informational activity tables. At 12:30, the Evanston Public Library will present stories and songs.

Starting at 1 p.m., speakers Mayor Daniel Biss, State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz and Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita will deliver speeches. The event culminates at 1:30 p.m. with the Traditional Lion Dance.

The celebration will take place on the same corner as many ASPA-owned businesses, such as:

• Pink & Tan
  
• Secret Treasures Antiques & Collectibles
• Nargis Beauty Spot
• Sea Ranch Sushi
• TIBETGift
• Yasotorn Thai Cuisine
• Shinsen Evanston
• niceLena & Friends
• Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago
• Passenger Paper

"There are dozens of ASPA-owned businesses in Southeast Evanston," said Katherine Gotsick, Executive Director of the Main-Dempster Mile. "They're an essential part of our business community, and we love that we get to celebrate them each year on Lunar New Year."