Release Date: January 16,2026
Lunar New Year Celebration Returns to Downtown Akron February 28
January 16, 2026, Akron, Ohio — Downtown Akron Partnership (DAP) announces that it will present the 5th annual Downtown Akron Lunar New Year Celebration, which will usher in the Year of the Horse inside the Akron Civic Theatre on Saturday, February 28, 2026, from 3:30 to 8 pm.
Attorney, educator, and Downtown Akron Lunar New Year Planning Committee member Elaine Tso says, “It’s so exciting to be celebrating Lunar New Year with the Greater Akron and Northeast Ohio Community for the fifth consecutive year! Lunar New Year is such a festive and joyous time when we wish prosperity for our family and friends. We hope that this Lunar New Year celebration has become an annual tradition for your family and friends to build special memories together.”
Doors to the Civic Theatre will open at 3:30 pm, when visitors will enjoy a Culture Fair featuring local vendors, educational booths, free crafts, festive photo opportunities, food and more. House doors will open at 5 pm for attendees to find their seats ahead of the 6 pm program, which will showcase a lineup of performances on the Civic’s main stage. This year’s performers will include Kwan Family Lion Dance, the Cleveland Glory Waist Drum Team, Master Sen Gao, Blooming Flower Dance Group, Myong Feinstein, Akron Chinese School, Cleveland Phoenix Club, the Ohio Samul Nori, NIHF STEM Middle School learners, LingYun Rising Star Dance School and Stellar Acrobatic Dance Academy, Soaring Grace Dance Group and Five Lakes Chinese Ensemble.
Tickets must be reserved to enjoy this event. Tickets are $6.25 each, all-in pricing, if purchased online at AkronCivic.com. The Akron Civic Theatre is a no-fee box office, and tickets can also be purchased there for $5 each from Monday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm.
Tickets can be purchased online here.
The illustration for the 2026 Downtown Akron Lunar New Year Celebration was created by Cleveland artist Thao Nguyen, who will be signing copies of the event poster at the celebration. A high-quality print of the original artwork will also be raffled off at the event.
Lunar New Year is celebrated in many Asian countries beginning on the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ending 15 days later on the first full moon of the calendar. Dates of the celebration vary from year to year, usually falling between January 21 and February 20.
A recap of last year’s celebration can be read here.
The 2026 Downtown Akron Lunar New Year Celebration is presented by Downtown Akron Partnership, with generous support from the City of Akron, Knight Foundation, the Ohio Arts Council, GAR Foundation, Akron Community Foundation, and the Akron Civic Theatre. Other community partners include Akron Public Schools, National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Middle School, Asian Services in Action, The University of Akron Zips Activity Board and the Lunar New Year Planning Committee.