Celebrate Lunar New Year at the Chinatown Storytelling Centre

Taste of Chinatown!, Presented by Scotiabank returns with a month-long Lunar New Year celebration welcoming the Year of the Horse through food, art, culture, and community experiences in the heart of Vancouver’s Chinatown.

📅 February 6 – 22, 2026
📍 Chinatown Storytelling Centre — 168 E Pender Street, Vancouver

Expect cocktail competitions, hands-on art workshops, mahjong nights, cultural crafts, and family-friendly drop-in activities throughout the festival.

🍸 Chinatown Cocktail Showdown

Eight of Chinatown’s top bars and restaurants — including Bagheera, Bao Bei, The Chickadee Room, Fiorino, The Keefer Bar, Kissa Tanto, Laowai, and Meo — compete to craft the ultimate Lunar New Year–inspired cocktail using premium spirits from Suntory Global Spirits.

📅 Friday, February 6, 2026
🕠 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
🎟 $98
👉 Buy Tickets Now

🎨 Sip & Paint – Lunar Lantern Edition (19+)

Create a Lunar New Year–inspired floral lantern artwork with Vancouver artist Justine Crawford while sampling limited-edition 2026 Haywire Lunar New Year wines. Includes tasting notes, light snacks, and all art materials.

📅 Sunday, February 15, 2026
🕑 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
🎟 $60
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🀄 Mahjong Parlour Experience

Gather, play, and learn mahjong in a lively social setting celebrating Chinatown’s rich community traditions. Guests will enjoy specialty treats from Beaucoup Bakery, Hype Chocolate, and TEALEAVES, plus a first taste of Haywire’s Lunar New Year Red.

📅 Friday, February 20, 2026
🕖 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
🎟 $38
👉 Buy Tickets Now

🖌 The Art of Fai Cheun (Free Family Activity)

Create your own traditional calligraphy blessing to welcome abundance and harmony in the new year. Choose symbols like fish (prosperity) or hearts (care), and write a meaningful message to carry your wishes into the Year of the Horse.

📅 Monday, February 16, 2026 (Family Day)
🕛 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
🎟 Walk-in | Free Admission

🧧 Red Envelopes & Candy Tasting

Design your own lucky red envelope (lai see / hongbao) and fill it with candies from trays of togetherness — a sweet Lunar New Year tradition meant to share blessings and prosperity.

📅 Sunday, February 22, 2026 (Lunar New Year Parade Day)
🕐 All Day
🎟 Walk-in | Entrance by Donation

🌟 Exclusive Festival Collaborations

Afternoon Tea at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

Enjoy a special Lunar New Year afternoon tea at Notch8, featuring festive sweets, savoury bites, and the exclusive “Gold Mountain” tea blend. Admission to the Chinatown Storytelling Centre is included.

📅 January 9 – February 22, 2026
👉 Learn More

Chairman Ting x Foo Hung Curios Apparel

Limited-edition apparel celebrating Chinatown culture, designed with hidden symbolic details. Launches at the Cocktail Showdown and available while supplies last.

Why Visit Taste of Chinatown 2026?

✨ Celebrate Lunar New Year in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown
🍷 Unique culinary tastings and cocktail events
🎨 Hands-on cultural arts workshops
🀄 Social mahjong and community traditions
👨‍👩‍👧 Free Family Day cultural activity
🧧 Festive red envelope traditions and sweets

A perfect blend of culture, flavour, and community spirit in one of Vancouver’s most meaningful neighbourhood celebrations.