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Nashville, Explained

How To Celebrate Lunar New Year in Nashville

Posted on February 13
Terry Vo

Terry Vo

Two-person white, gold, and red lion dancers perform before a crowd.

Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville’s lion dance team. (Courtesy of Ray Friedman)

Chúc mừng năm mới! Happy Lunar New Year!

Nearly two billion people around the world will celebrate Lunar New Year on Tuesday, Feb. 17, with festivities lasting three to 15 days. Though customs vary across cultures, shared themes include honoring ancestors, celebrating family, welcoming good fortune, and embracing renewal. This year, we welcome the Year of the Fire Horse, symbolizing rapid transformation, strength, prosperity, and bold energy. After Winter Storm Fern, many of us are ready to embrace that renewed sense of momentum, optimism, and power.

Nashville’s Asian American Community

While Lunar New Year is often associated with East and Southeast Asia, it’s also deeply meaningful in Middle Tennessee, where Asian American communities continue to grow, thrive, and shape the cultural fabric of our region.

Chinese immigrants first arrived in Nashville in the late 1870s, with a documented community established by 1878. Early businesses like Shing Lee Laundry and Wah Lee Laundry operated on what was then Cedar and North Cherry Streets — present-day Fourth Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Their presence laid the groundwork for generations to come. 

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My Lunar New Year Story

Growing up in a Vietnamese household, we celebrated Tết every year. Tết Nguyên Đán marks the arrival of spring and is the most important holiday in Vietnamese culture. It’s a time to honor our ancestors, gather with family, reflect on the past year, and set intentions for the year ahead. From receiving lì xì — lucky money tucked inside red envelopes — from elders, to wearing new clothes and sharing traditional meals, this season was always about connection. I cherished the bonding with my parents, siblings, and our wider Vietnamese community. Tết made me proud to be Vietnamese and grounded me in my heritage.

One of my favorite traditions is eating bánh tét, a log-shaped savory cake wrapped in green banana leaves and filled with glutinous rice, mung beans, and pork belly. Its cylindrical shape symbolizes the sky and the yang principle. You might also see its square counterpart, bánh chưng, made with the same ingredients but representing the Earth and the yin principle. Together, these dishes reflect harmony and balance — values deeply woven into Lunar New Year traditions. Around town, you can often find them at Asian supermarkets like Chợ Á Đông, though you’ll want to shop early. They sell out quickly.

When I moved to Nashville in 2009 to work at the Consulate-General of Japan, I didn’t see many visible Asian Pacific Islander community members, despite our longstanding roots here. Today, our community is larger, more organized, and more vocal — particularly among younger generations. Even as we confront anti-Asian hate and persistent stereotypes, we are building power, deepening cultural pride, and showing up boldly across civic, nonprofit, and business spaces. The recent openings of ELEVEN11 on Dickerson Pike and Pan-Asia Supermarket in Chinatown are proof that Asian-owned businesses — local and national alike — believe in Nashville and are investing in its future.

Chinese women perform on a stage wearing traditional red and gold dresses with red, white, and green fans.

Chinese dance “Blossoming Petals,” at the CAAN’s Lunar New Year celebration. (Courtesy of Mandeep’s Lens Photography)

Celebrating Lunar New Year in Nashville

Whether you’re part of the Asian diaspora or simply want to celebrate alongside us, there are many opportunities this year to experience the joy, food, traditions, and stories that make Lunar New Year so special.

Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026 | 2-5 p.m. | Ingram Hall | Free

Before Wu Fei’s performance at 3 p.m., enjoy Chinese drumming, and Lunar New Year cultural exhibits and activity booths.

Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 | 5:45 p.m. | City Hall |
Free

Watch the Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville perform a lion dance on the 2nd floor of City Hall in the Mezzanine, prior to a Metro Council meeting.

Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 | 5-8 p.m. | ELEVEN11
| Free with registration

API Middle TN’s Third Thursday will celebrate Lunar New Year, featuring the Nashville Symphony. A Lunar New Year ensemble will perform music celebrating the cultures of China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Korea, and beyond.

Saturday, Feb. 21 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Centennial Park |
Free

This family-friendly event will have live performances, a Chinese tongue twister competition, and more.

Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 | 4-8:30 p.m. | Father Ryan High School | $15+

Enjoy live music, performances, and snacks. Proceeds benefit the Greater Nashville Chinese Association.

Chúc mừng năm mới. Gong hei fat choy. Saehae bok mani badeuseyo. Happy Lunar New Year.

🍽️ Terry’s favorite international restaurants

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