Lunar New Year: Epping
Boronia Park, Epping
4-9pm, Saturday 21 February
Celebrate Year of the Horse with high-pole lion dancers, cultural food demonstrations by celebrity chefs, and hands-on workshops for all ages. FREE ENTRY.
Gather your family and friends and meet us in Epping to experience the flavours, traditions and fun of Lunar New Year.
Entertainment
Experience an unforgettable line‑up of Lunar New Year entertainment, including:
- 7pm: High‑Pole Lion Dancers soaring three metres above the ground.
- God of Wealth appearances around Boronia Park throughout the celebrations to spread prosperity.
- 7pm and 8:55pm: Traditional firecrackers to welcome good fortune and ignite the celebrations.
Lunar New Year Creative Kitchen
We’re serving up culinary inspiration this Lunar New Year with live cooking demonstrations from some of Australia's favourite chefs and food creators.
Filipino Food Movement
Filipino Food Movement
4pm - 4.35pm
A community collective sharing the rich cultural heritage of Filipino cuisine, highlighting stories, flavours and Filipino‑Chinese culinary connections. They will be cooking up a storm with Lumpiang Shanghai, Chilli Sauce and Ginataang Halo Halo.
Stay around for recipe card giveaways and an insight to their new book.
Christopher Thé
Christopher Thé
4.55pm - 5.30pm
The visionary pastry chef and founder of Black Star Pastry and the world‑famous Strawberry Watermelon Cake, celebrated for redefining modern Australian desserts. Christopher will be demonstrating the mastery behind his Strawberry Watermelon Cake 2.0.
Talk with Christopher about all his secrets at his book signing at 5.50pm.
Arthur Chu
Arthur Chu
5.50pm - 6.25pm
Founder of Hungry Paulie, bringing the heart and heritage of Taiwanese street‑style comfort food to Sydney through traditional techniques and bold flavour. Arthur will be cooking delicious hand-pulled noodles, along with a recipe card to take away to guide your own noodle adventures.
Sarah Tiong
Sarah Tiong
7.30pm -8.05pm
MasterChef star, chef and co‑owner of OGNI, known for her vibrant Chinese‑Malaysian flavours and passion for celebrating Lunar New Year traditions. Sarah will be cooking sesame crusted prawns and lucky mayo.
Therese Lum
Therese Lum
8.25pm - 9pm
MasterChef favourite and founder of Therese Lum Cakes, known for her imaginative Asian‑inspired creations and viral dessert artistry. Therese will be cooking crispy lace pork and shrimp dumplings.
Jennifer Wong
Jennifer Wong
Emcee
Comedian, writer and co‑author of Chopsticks or Fork?, bringing wit, warmth and food‑loving storytelling as our emcee for the LNY Creative Kitchen.
Jennifer will be offering signings of her book Chopsticks or Fork? throughout the night.
Explore Culture: Workshops & Cultural Demonstrations
Try something new with our family‑friendly cultural activities and workshops:
- Tai Chi sessions with Dr Emily Yang at 4.15pm, 5pm, 7.30pm and 8.25pm.
- Mahjong activation hosted by PMCA as a drop in session from 4pm - 9pm.
- Personalised Chinese horoscope readings from 4pm - 9pm.
- Hapkido workshops with HCA EAGLES at 5.45pm - 6.30pm.
- Floral & Calligraphy Stencil Collage workshops from 4pm - 9pm by Unic DIY.
- Optus Video Booth — step inside, record a message and share it instantly.
Cultural Stage
The stage is set to entertain and enchant you this Lunar New Year, bursting with incredible talent.
- Traditional & Contemporary Music: guzheng and Chinese zither melodies to keyboard, saxophone, clarinet and full folk‑instrument ensembles, blending modern arrangements with iconic festival classics.
- Chinese Wonderman Qi Gong: Be amazed by high‑skill Qi Gong demonstrations, featuring remarkable balance and traditional martial arts feats that bring centuries‑old Chinese physical arts to life.
- Cultural & Folk Dance Performances: Chinese folk dance, graceful cheongsam and fan showcases, energetic drum‑led routines, expressive Tibetan dance, and beautifully choreographed Thai classical dance.
- Community Choirs & Cultural Showcases: choir performances, traditional senior community showcases, and TaiChi and Stick demonstrations.
- Youth & Modern Performances: K‑pop dance moments, youth instrumental ensembles, and high‑tempo drumming.
Plus McConnell Bourn, proud supporter of the Cultural Stage, will be offering free facepainting and a Lunar New Year scratchie - try your luck to win a prize!
Food to Enjoy
Savour the flavours of Lunar New Year with a vibrant mix of Asian street‑food favourites.
Enjoy everything from Korean snacks and handmade dumplings to Japanese‑fusion bites, noodle dishes, and festival‑favourite desserts. Cool down with bubble tea, fresh lemonade, or sugarcane juice as you explore the celebrations.
Here are some of your favourites you can expect to be there: KOI, Mrs Wang's Dumplings & loads more.
Send your Lunar New Year Wishes!
Celebrate Lunar New Year by filming a special message to friends or family in Optus' video messaging booth.
Simply jump into the video booth, record a message and then share it instantly with your friends and family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore all the frequently asked questions to plan a fun filled Lunar New Year in Epping.
Lunar New Year in Parramatta Square
Friday 20 February
There’s more Lunar New Year fun in Parramatta Square. Join our festivities in the heart of Parramatta and experience art, live music, DJs and cultural eats.
Sign up to our City Happenings Newsletter and stay up to date with event news across our city – including our Lunar New Year festivities.
Partners and Sponsors
Funding for this project has been provided by the NSW Government.
The Chinese Wishing Tree is proudly supported by Optus.
Chris Yee's Year of the Fire Horse installation "Destination/Arrival" is proudly supported by Porsche Centre Parramatta for the Macan EV.
McConnell Bourn is the partner of the Lunar New Year Cultural Stage at Epping.
Thank you to our local supporter: Community Bank Epping - Bendigo Bank
