Discover the ultimate guide to celebrating Lunar New Year in Toronto! Immerse yourself in the rich traditions and festive atmosphere as we unveil the top events, cultural hotspots, and culinary delights to make your Lunar New Year unforgettable in the heart of Toronto.
Each year across the globe, the Lunar New Year marks an important celebration for millions of people around the world, especially those of East Asian cultures. With over 350,000 residents in the Greater Toronto Area identifying as having East Asian descent, celebrations of the Lunar New Year in Toronto are some of the best in the world.
As someone with an East Asian background myself, some of my fondest childhood memories revolve around these Lunar New Year celebrations.
Sparkling firecrackers and lanterns. Lion and dragon dances. And most importantly, the delicious feasts! My family and I look forward to celebrating Toronto’s Lunar New Year festivities each year and carrying on cultural traditions through generations.
Lunar New Year can also be known as the Spring Festival, and in my family, we refer to it as Chinese New Year. For Vietnamese Canadians, it is called Tet; for Korean Canadians, it is known as Solnal. With the diverse, multi-cultural makeup of Toronto, you can find all of these celebrations and more.
The year 2024 is the Year of the Dragon using the Chinese Zodiac, so you may notice this iconic image heavily featured in decor throughout Lunar New Year celebrations. Discover more about some of the traditions associated with this special time of year and ways that you and your family can join in the celebrations!
Top Restaurants For Celebrating Lunar New Year In The GTA
As with any great festival, food is vital to the Lunar New Year experience. Feasting with loved ones is an important aspect of celebrating the new year. Luckily there are some incredible Toronto restaurants serving up Lunar New Year feasts.
After all, what’s better than sitting down to a delicious meal?
Some of the most popular dishes that you will come across during this time of year are dumplings, noodles, spring rolls, and whole fish, and each of these holds a special significance.
Dumplings are popular because they look like money pouches and signify wealth and prosperity. Another prosperous dish is spring rolls, which resemble little gold bars. Many traditional meals will feature long noodles meant to symbolize a long life – just be careful not to break the noodles when you eat them!
Serving a whole fish, usually steamed, represents abundance.
If you’re willing to brave winter in Toronto, here are some top picks for restaurants in the Toronto area where you can experience a special Lunar New Year meal.
Pearl Harbourfront
The Pearl Harbourfront is a family favourite of ours. If you’re looking for a delectable dim sum restaurant with a gorgeous view of Lake Ontario, visit Pearl and you won’t be disappointed!
The brand has other locations, too (Bayview Village, Yorkdale Mall), but nothing beats the view from the top of Pearl at Harbourfront.
Yu Seafood
Yu Seafood has locations in Richmond Hill or Yorkdale Mall and offers a special Lunar New Year set menu featuring lobster and barbequed pork. Set menus are popular offerings at many Chinese restaurants, as they allow diners to eat family-style, where you can try many different dishes all at once.
Dasha
This high-end pan-Asian restaurant on King St W pulls inspiration, flavours, and techniques from across many Asian countries.
On February 10 and 11 only, they will be celebrating Lunar New Year with a special features menu curated by Executive Chef Hans Vogels. The menu includes delicacies such as Pan-Fried Foie Gras, Dumplings, and Whole Fried Fish.
They will also be hosting Dragon Dance performances throughout the night in the dining room to add to the celebration.
Kiin
Kiin, on Adelaide St W, will be hosting The Soy Luck Club’s Chef Eva Chin alongside their own Chef Nuit Regular for an exciting dinner collaboration to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
On February 12th, the restaurant will be serving a delectable, multi-course dinner combining the unique culinary cultures of Chinese and Thai cuisines while also drawing inspiration from Chef Nuit’s Dai ancestry, an ethnic minority group in Yunnan, China, who are closely related to Thai people.
During this one-night-only event, Chef Nuit and Chef Eva will showcase their combined culinary talents and passion for food, community, and storytelling through the beautiful flavours of their cultures.
Lunar New Year Events In Toronto
Lunar New Year events
The best way to experience the Lunar New Year is in person! If you’re looking for special events to celebrate the Lunar New Year in the Greater Toronto Area this year, be sure to check out some of the events taking place across the region.
Lunar Nights
The Lunar Nights: Year of the Dragon Festival at the Markham Museum runs from February 8 to February 25, 2024, and illuminates the city with a mesmerizing display of a lantern trail filled with scenes featuring more than 250 colourful lanterns, celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the lunar new year.
Beyond the captivating outdoor walk-through lantern show, visitors can immerse themselves in a rich tapestry of experiences. While you’re there, you can also explore the Markham Museum’s interactive international exhibitions, engage with traditional vendors, and partake in an array of interactive activities, including a telescopic moon viewing, a baby dragon encounter, the wish tree, captivating dragon performances, and an indoor arts & crafts program.
Weather permitting, the festivities will extend to an outdoor ice skating rink (BYO skates) and an invigorating snowshoeing adventure.
Holts Cafe Bloor Street
In honour of the Year of the Dragon, enjoy a lucky sweet and savoury afternoon tea at Holts Café Bloor Street.
Purchasing new clothing symbolizes a fresh start to the new year, and many people will wear red since it’s considered to be an auspicious color that brings good fortune. Maybe you can shop around for a lucky new red purse or sweater while you’re there! It’s the perfect way to celebrate, and the tea runs until March 3, 2024.
Shangri-La Toronto
The signature Lunar New Year-inspired afternoon tea at Lobby Lounge at the Shangri-La Toronto runs between February 1 and February 25, 2024.
Set in a beautiful atmosphere with live piano music tinkling in the background, the tea features exquisite treats like the “Mandarin,” an almond tart with blood orange compote, and the delightful “Jasmine Mango” creation.
Explore savoury delights like “Duck Confit Taro Puff” and “Beef Bao Bun”, and don’t forget the Scallion and Toasted Sesame Scones while you’re at it! Cap off your celebration with the unique flavours of Lemon Madeleine and Coconut Pandan delights.
Scarborough Town Centre
For the entire month of February, a majestic Larger Than Life Dragon Sculpture standing 15 feet high and spanning 22 feet long will live in Centre Court at Scarborough Town Centre. It’s the perfect place to snap a selfie! Many shopping malls are hosting their version of a Lunar New Year celebration, so don’t forget to check your local shopping centre’s social media or website to see what’s happening in your community.
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Celebrate Lunar New Year in style with Year of the Dragon at Toronto Symphony Orchestra only on February 13, 2024.
Toronto comedian Dashan hosts this evening extraordinaire with beloved classics and festive favorites, including the Butterfly Lovers Concerto and Song of the Pipa, performed by your TSO and special guests in honour of the Year of the Dragon. This is a great way to experience classical music in Toronto.
Woodside Square
The Lantern Festival at Woodside Square is a large-scale international outdoor light show composed of four main thematic elements that run until February 19, 2024. See extraordinary scenes from ancient times to the present.
Decorating and gifting fresh flowers is another tradition that families partake in for the Lunar New Year. Try a new spin on it by visiting Allan Gardens for a Year of the Dragon celebration on Monday, February 19 (Family Day in Ontario), where you can see a lion dance in person!
The event takes place at the Children’s Conservatory so you’ll likely be surrounded by fresh plants and flowers.
Treats and Gifts for the Lunar New Year
Sweets such as candy, rice cakes, and fruit are also lucky and are given and received as gifts when visiting the homes of friends and family.
Here are some of my favourite places to pick up some treats and baked goods when I’m visiting family and friends during the Lunar New Year (but really, they’re great at any time of the year!):
For sheer convenience and variety, you can’t go wrong with T&T Supermarket where you can pick up some Lunar New Year decorations to hang, baked goods from their fresh in-store bakery, or even ready-cooked meals (we love the Peking Duck platter!).
Saint Germain Bakery has a variety of beautifully packaged cookies for gifting, and Lucullus has famous Hong Kong-style buns and pastries. Patisserie Fleur is perfect for a fancy French-style cake with Lunar New Year decorations.
Enjoy Your Toronto Lunar New Year Celebrations!
The Lunar New Year is a time to usher in good luck for the coming year. Whether that’s staying at home and celebrating with loved ones or being out at events across the city, there are many special traditions associated with bringing good luck and fortune to loved ones.
I hope you find a way to enjoy and participate in the Lunar New Year festivities with your loved ones, and I wish you good luck, much prosperity, and good health for the Year of the Dragon!
Do you know of more fantastic things to do in Ontario? Drop a comment below or swing over to our popular and informative Ultimate Ontario Facebook Community to share your top spots.
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Jessica Gedge is a marketing, communications and PR professional who has worked in arts and culture, tourism and film and has a passion for writing. Jessica loves to explore and is always on the search for the best cup of coffee. She documents some of her adventures on her Instagram channel _letsgoxo_.