Hutong Miami
Photography: Courtesy Hutong
Photography: Courtesy Hutong

Lunar New Year in Miami: Where to celebrate in 2024

Ring in the Year of the Dragon with extravagant meals, festive fêtes, and more.

Melissa Puppo
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Get ready to unleash your roar in the Magic City as we celebrate the much-anticipated Chinese New Year with flair and festivity. It's the Year of the Dragon, which represents strength and power, growth and good fortune. This is the most important holiday in China, revered for its cultural significance, and extends to South Korea, Vietnam and other nations boasting overseas Chinese populations. Join the revelry as we guide you through the best spots and events to ring in the Year of the Dragon in Miami.

RECOMMENDED: The best Chinese restaurants in Miami

When is the Lunar New Year 2024?

The Lunar New Year begins on Saturday, February 10 and concludes with the Lantern Festival on Saturday, February 24.

There is currently no city or county-sponsored Chinese New Year parade in Miami; however, make the most of this festive holiday by viewing a captivating display of Chinese lantern installations at Luminosa: A Festival of Lights at Jungle Island through February 28.

Where to celebrate Lunar Chinese New Year in Miami

  • Things to do
  • Event spaces
  • Wynwood
  • price 2 of 4

On January 21 and 22, this 10,000-square-foot Asian marketplace in Wynwood will host a special dine-around dinner party for the New Year. For $65, each guest will receive a traditional red envelope with the night's bespoke menu, which includes seven “lucky” dishes to eat during the new year.

  • Things to do

Located at the iconic Fontainebleau Miami Beach resort, Hakkasan has been serving up elevated Chinese food in Miami Beach for over a decade. To celebrate this Lunar New Year, they're bringing back the ever-popular Dim Sum Brunch, featuring an array of steamed, fried and pan-seared dumplings, including vegetarian options. Hakkasan's Chinese New Year celebrations run from February 2 to 17 and also include a special set menu ($158 per person) with classic dishes like the Happiness Dim Sum Trio and the cherrywood smoked roasted duck. On February 10 at 8pm, guests can enjoy a traditional Dragon Dance in Fontainebleau's lobby, which will end in Hakkasan at 8:30pm.

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  • Things to do

The ultimate destination for Chinese New Year, Hutong is the place to be to indulge in contemporary Northern Chinese cuisine and exotic signature cocktails while enjoying live-fire artists and lion dancers all weekend long. Be sure to fill out a wishing card and hang it on the restaurant’s wishing tree branches, which pay homage to the famous Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees in Hong Kong. 

4. Design District Lunar New Year Celebration

Gather in Palm Court to celebrate the Year of the Dragon in Design District style. Lion dancers will commence their performance around 3:30pm and snake their way through the manicured District, ending in Paradise Plaza.

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  • Street food
  • Wynwood

If you still haven't managed to make it out to Smorgasburg,  their Chinese New Year celebration is an excellent reason to finally stop by. This year’s rendition will take place on Lincoln Road and Wynwood from February 16 through February 18, and we'll see the outdoor food hall transform into a Chinese street food market. They'll be decked out in captivating decorations with activations that include a lion dance, calligraphy classes, live music, karaoke and more. 

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  • Things to do
  • Festivals
  • Miami

After a four-year hiatus, Luminosa is back at Jungle Island with over 40 larger-than-life lantern scenes along a mile-long path, all hand-crafted by over 150 artists. It’s like a glow-up around the world – both the real one and the fictional. Weave through a jungle of glowing leopards and elephants, dive into a coral and fish-filled installation of Atlantis, stand in awe at a glowing Pantheon (because the boys are probably already thinking about Rome) and finish off with a bacchanalia of Latin American folklore and figures, from Mayan temples to Day of the Dead calaveras

  • Contemporary American
  • Wynwood

MaryGold’s and Arlo are partnering with the self-love and community inclusivity Instagram account @wetheurban to create custom fortunes exclusively for Lucky Hour, the new moniker given to their daily happy hour. Stop by from 5 to 6pm every day of the week and order the new Wynwood Happy Meal consisting of a refreshing daiquiri, spiced fries and a fortune cookie. One out of every 100 cookies will contain a winning fortune for a one-night stay at Arlo.

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  • Contemporary Asian
  • South Beach
  • price 4 of 4

Its name means victory in Sanskrit, so it’s expected that every meal at Jaya is a triumph. For its sixth-annual Asian Night Bazaar, Jaya hosts three nights of celebration to toast the Chinese New Year. From February 9 to 11, enjoy live entertainment nightly including traditional lion and dragon shows, martial arts demonstrations, and drummers along with a contortionist and DJ. Enjoy noshing on Jaya’s signature Peking Duck and Dim Sum along with hand-crafted cocktails and more tasty tipples.

  • Peruvian
  • Brickell Key
  • price 4 of 4

Gastón Acurio’s talented protégé Diego Oka mans the kitchen at La Mar, whose menu Oka continually tweaks as travel and seasonality inspire him. For this Lunar New Year, Oka has curated festive Chinese-Peruvian fusion dishes offered during the week of February 5 at Mandarin Oriental. To close out the celebrations, a traditional Lion Dance will take place at 6:45 each evening.

Its sophisticated counterpart MO Bar + Lounge will celebrate with food and cocktail specials, including a Dragon Sling cocktail, yang rou jiao zi-lamb dumplings and Singapore-style rice noodles with curry. Guests are invited to join the celebration with an inspired live violin and piano duo performance starting at 8:30pm on February 9. 

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