Lunar New Year festival returns to Buford Highway, marking nearly 40 years of tradition

The sights, sounds, and flavors of Lunar New Year will fill Buford Highway this weekend as one of metro Atlanta's longest-running cultural celebrations returns for a milestone year.

The annual Lunar New Year Festival, organized by We Love Buford Highway, will take place on Feb. 21 and 22, celebrating nearly four decades of honoring East and Southeast Asian traditions in the heart of the region's most diverse corridor.

"This is something that started by the community, for the community," said Lily Pabian, executive director of We Love Buford Highway. "And now it's something we get to share with everyone."

Festival-goers can expect a full lineup of cultural performances, traditional arts, and interactive experiences. Highlights include calligraphy demonstrations, storytelling, cultural exhibits, and — as the weekend's finale — lion and dragon dances welcoming the Year of the Horse.

Food will also take center stage, with vendors offering traditional dishes that hold deep symbolic meaning in Lunar New Year celebrations. Dumplings represent wealth and fortune, noodles signify longevity, fish symbolize abundance, and green vegetables are associated with prosperity.

"The food really centers us culturally," Pabian said. "It's how we pass traditions down, especially to our children."

This Lunar New Year marks the transition into the Year of the Fire Horse, a zodiac combination that appears only once every 60 years. Pabian said the shift follows the Year of the Snake, traditionally associated with shedding and preparation.

"The Year of the Snake is about letting go," she said. "The Fire Horse represents rapid change, movement, and transformation. The last time we had a Fire Horse, the world was going through enormous change."

With uncertainty shaping the global landscape, Pabian said many people are finding renewed meaning in the holiday's focus on reflection, respect, and renewal.

Lunar New Year officially begins Feb. 17 and is observed over 15 days. Traditionally, families honor their ancestors, clean their homes before the new year begins, and avoid activities believed to "wash away" good luck once the holiday starts.

Wearing red — considered the most auspicious color — sharing large family meals and giving red envelopes with money to younger relatives are common practices across many cultures.

"At its core, it's about respect," Pabian said. "Respect for your elders, your community, and yourself."

She added that customs vary widely across cultures and generations, especially among diaspora families who carry forward what was passed down to them.

Pabian reflected on learning Lunar New Year traditions as a child in a small apartment off Buford Highway, where family members gathered to honor ancestors in private.

"To see it now being celebrated so openly, so publicly — that's something very beautiful," she said. "Our communities grew here first. The traditions didn't just arrive on their own."

Today, Buford Highway has become a regional destination for cultural exchange, where traditions once practiced behind closed doors are now shared widely.

Pabian encouraged those unfamiliar with the Lunar New Year to attend with curiosity and an open mind.

"Come with no expectations," she said. "Enjoy the food, the vibrancy, the hope. And maybe you'll walk away understanding something deeper."

This year's festival is presented with support from the Chamblee and Discover Chamblee, sponsors Pabian credited for embracing the celebration and its cultural significance.

The Lunar New Year Festival is free and open to the public and will take place along Buford Highway throughout the weekend.

You can learn more about the festivities here.