The OC Lantern Festival will ring in the Year of the Rabbit with a celebration on Saturday, February 18, 2023 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. This is a family-friendly festival that will feature music and dance performances, storytelling, riddles, art-making activities, food and of course, the lighting of the lanterns.
The concert hall lobby will be transformed for the festivities with floating lanterns and the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall will be opened up to the public for performances featuring local music and dance groups. This event is co-presented by Pacific Symphony and South Coast Chinese Cultural Center/Irvine Chinese School.
Lunar New Year will be observed beginning Sunday, January 22, 2023 and ends on Sunday, February 5, 2023.
Be sure to check out all Orange County Lunar New Year events.
Traditionally, on the 15th day of the first lunar month, two weeks after Chinese New Year, the Chinese Lantern Festival or Yuan Xiao Jie or Yuanxiao Festival (元宵节), is celebrated. It marks the first full moon of the new lunar year and the end of the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) period.
On the night of the Chinese Lantern Festival, streets are decorated with colorful lanterns, often with riddles written on them. People eat sweet rice balls called tangyuan, watch dragon and lion dances, and set off fireworks.
OC Lantern Festival
Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
Address: 615 Town Center Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Date/Times
Saturday, February 18, 2023 | 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Admission
Admission is FREE, but tickets are required. To get your free tickets, select a General Admission $0.00 ticket when asked to choose your seating section.
Get Free Tickets
Due to venue capacity, admission will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the course of the event. Though a ticket does not guarantee immediate admission, ticket holders will be given priority access. Be sure to print out all print-at-home tickets.
Directions
Segerstrom Center for the Arts is located in the heart of the Orange County Theatre District, just east of South Coast Plaza, on Town Center Drive and adjacent to South Coast Repertory. There are several parking garages adjacent to The Center.
Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall will also host a Lunar New Year Concert on January 28, 2023 at 8:00PM. The celebration includes festive dance performances with a fusion of musical traditions from East and West. Details and tickets can be found here.
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Monique McArthur is a mother of two, writer, and creator of delicious recipes. In her spare time she enjoys exploring all that Orange County has to offer, traveling, shopping, running with her dogs and spending time with family.