Travel Costa Mesa Blog
7 Ways to Celebrate the Year of the Dog in Orange County
February 16, 2018, kicks off the Year of the Dog and many celebrations of the 2018 Chinese Lunar New Year in Costa Mesa and around Orange County. Families and friends gather in many ways during this spring event to enjoy cultural traditions, parades, food festivals and entertainment. Through March 4, 2018, here’s 7 fun ways to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Orange County.
With so many opportunities to celebrate, a weekend escape to OC makes it easy to visit all of the events. Costa Mesa, in the heart of Orange County, is a perfect central location to call home during Lunar New Year and many hotels offer great deals during this time.
South Coast Plaza Floral Displays and Free Entertainment
Visit South Coast Plaza’s eye-catching floral display featuring bold colors of gold and red, plus eight carefully crafted dogs and puppies in and around Jewel Court (just outside of Macy’s). Discover the Tales of Tradition throughout the Center, which feature special symbols of the traditions of the Chinese. South Coast Plaza’s Chinese New Year celebration is an ideal place to spend the afternoon, enjoying free entertainment on weekends and capturing photos in celebration of the holiday.
Tet Festival to Celebrate the New Year
Once again, the popular Vietnamese tradition of welcoming spring will be celebrated at the annual Tet Festival, returning to the OC Fair & Event Center during the weekend of February 16-18, 2018. There is no other cultural experience likes this, where attendees can immerse themselves in the traditional foods, performances, interactive games and music of the Vietnamese culture. Cap off the celebration with a spectacular fireworks show to bring good fortune in the New Year. Admission is just $6.00 and on Saturday, those choosing to wear traditional Chinese attire, or a military uniform will be admitted free.
Themed Lunar New Year Products
South Coast Plaza is home to the largest collection of retailers and restaurants of any luxury shopping center in the U.S. Many of the boutiques, including Gucci, Prada, Miu Miu, Bally, Salvatore Ferragamo, Vacheron Constantin and Piaget offer themed products and in-store experiences. Be sure to visit Prada Spirit, a pop-up that’s a U.S. exclusive, located in front of the Prada boutique. Visitors to South Coast Plaza between February 13 and March 4, 2018, who make a minimum purchase will receive a limited-edition crystal jar in the shape of a dog. Dior has designed the exclusive red calfskin Stars Wallet, Card Holder and Phone Case embossed with goldtone stars. Each is sold separately.
Outlet Shopping and Lunar New Year Discounts
If you love shopping and finding a great deal, look no further than The Outlets of Orange, just 20 minutes form Costa Mesa and the next city over from Anaheim. On Saturday, February 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., shoppers and visitors to the center will enjoy live entertainment, cultural performances, and lucky red envelopes to celebrate the Chinese tradition. The Outlets of Orange is a great place to get outside, enjoy the SoCal winter weather and explore this indoor/outdoor entertainment center. Through February 23, visit the on-site concierge for a lucky red envelope stuffed with discounts and deals to stores like Nike Factory Store, Steve Madden, BJs Restaurants, Lucky Strike Bowling and more.
Lunar New Year at Disney’s California Adventure
Does it get much more exciting than celebrating a holiday at the Happiest Place on Earth? If you’re a fan of Mickey and Minnie and the magic of this world-famous Southern California attraction, head to the Disney’s California Adventure through February 18 for a festive multi-cultural celebration. Follow Mulan, Mushu and their friend the lantern in a special performance of World of Color.
A Giant Ferris Wheel, Stilt Walkers and Fortune Cookies
Our neighbors at Irvine Spectrum Center have a fun-filled day planned on February 18 from 1 to 3 p.m. to celebrate The Year of the Dog. Meet other families at the Giant Wheel Courtyard for dance performances, face painting, entertainment and a chance to receive a free Lucky Red Envelope. At Irvine Spectrum you’ll be surrounded by outdoor walkways and dozens of retailers, like H&M and Nordstrom, plus Dave & Buster’s for more entertainment. It’s a great place to let the little ones run around and enjoy this cultural event.
Lantern Festival, Chinese Folk Dancing and More
A final Lunar New Year event is the Lantern Festival on March 4 from 12 – 6 p.m. In its third year this free event is presented by Pacific Symphony in partnership with the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center/Irvine Chinese School. This family-friendly event allows attendees to make their own lanterns, which will transform and light up the new Julianne and George Argyros Plaza. Local dance and music groups will entertain guests during this afternoon celebration.
We wish everyone good fortune and good health as we usher in springtime in Costa Mesa!
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Posted in Events, Food, Misc, Music & Art
Lunar New Year Celebrations in Costa Mesa
In Costa Mesa, we celebrate the Lunar New Year almost as much as the traditional American New Year’s Eve is celebrated! Whether you’re planning a visit for a day or multiple days, there are many reasons why you won’t want to miss celebrating the Year of the Rooster here. Stay and relax with us for a few days while you enjoy the beginning of a New Year!
The Westin South Coast Plaza wants to make your visit to Costa Mesa extra special with this special Lunar New Year Package. With all the comforts you enjoy at home, you can stay in Costa Mesa and receive complimentary breakfast, a $100 gift certificate to South Coast Plaza and in-room tea service, plus other special amenities. Book a room at Westin today and celebrate the Lunar New Year with us.
Just across the way, you can walk to South Coast Plaza where the Lunar New Year celebration begins January 28 and hosts a robust schedule of events through February 12, 2017. Celebrate the New Year with traditional cultural performances, live entertainment, and crafts and activities for the whole family. Many of the stores sell Lunar New Year-inspired merchandise like the Oscar de la Renta red silk dress with gold belt created especially for South Coast Plaza, a Ferragamo shoulder and hand bag, or the Rooster embossed writing instrument at Montblanc.
With more than 250 unique boutiques, designer retailers and nearly 30 restaurants under one roof, you can spend the day shopping with plenty of options for dining. AnQi Asian Bistro located near Bloomingdales serves some of the best garlic noodles around and features a menu of items from Southeast Asia. Din Tai Fung is a casual restaurant famous for xiao long bao (Asian pork dumpling) and was named one of the “top ten gourmet restaurants in the world“ by New York Times. Also nearby, East Borough prepares Vietnamese favorites like banh mi and spring rolls.
Getting into the festive mood will be easy with the dazzling Year of the Rooster decorations found throughout South Coast Plaza. Be sure to visit Jewel Court as it is transformed with a custom-built display into a vibrant exhibit of decorations filled with symbols of luck and good fortune to welcome the New Year.
Each day during the three-week celebration, scheduled performances will take place throughout South Coast Plaza. There are many opportunities to bring good luck for the New Year through prize giveaways for shopping extravaganzas and special gifts-with-purchase commemorating the 2017 Lunar New Year.
Children will enjoy scheduled entertainment by Bing Bing’s Magic House and an activity to assemble their very own lanterns.
Families can explore a variety of experiences including weekend entertainment by Wu Fei, a native of Beijing and a current Nashville resident, and a master of the guzheng, the ancient 21-string Chinese zither.
“Lucky Eight” Promotion January 28 to February 4, 2017
Users of Weibo and WeChat will have daily opportunities to participate and win prizes from popular South Coast Plaza boutiques. Enter to win a shopping spree by visiting one of the concierge desks throughout South Coast Plaza, and visit the ACCESS VIP Suite near Saks Fifth Avenue on Level 2 to see this year’s exclusive gift with purchase – a commemorative LIULI vase.
2017 TET FESTIVAL AT OC FAIR & EVENT CENTER
One of the largest Lunar New Year festivals in the world will happen again this year in Costa Mesa, the weekend of January 27-28, 2017, at the OC Fair & Event Center. Beginning Friday evening, visitors will be immersed in a vibrant array of traditional foods, contests, live entertainment, cultural displays, festive games and rides and a fireworks show celebrating the New Year.
The 36th Annual Tet Festival is presented by the nonprofit organization Union of Vietnamese Student Associations, and is coordinated entirely by student and adult volunteers. The Tet Festival is an entertainment event where family and friends can celebrate the Lunar New Year and share hope and prosperity for a new year. Admission is just $6 and children 2 and under are free. Proceeds from this event help to serve the Vietnamese community by building leadership skills and cultural awareness as well as support for strong civic responsibility.
What Lunar New Year events do you plan to attend? Let us know in the comments!
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UVSA Tet Festival at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa
The Tet Festival of Southern California is recognized as the world’s Tet Festival outside of Vietnam. This year, the annual event was held at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa. The three-day festival is a grand celebration of Vietnamese culture and draws over 100,000 people throughout the weekend.
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