CHÚC MỪNG NĂM MỚI!
新年快乐
Happy New Year!

Helping connect residents and visitors to the small businesses, shopping districts, arts and culture in our neighborhoods is part of the work of the Office Economic Development and Cultural Affairs.

With Lunar New Year beginning on February 10, here are some tips on places to shop and dine, alongside cultural events and festivities in the Little Saigon and Tully Road/Eastridge corridors.

Little Saigon

If you're ready to get the celebration started early, this weekend, February 3-4, is going to be a blast at History Park, where the Vietnamese American Round Table (“VAR”) will be kicking off their first-ever, Lunar New Year: San Jose, Bridging Generations. This festival is a collaborative effort of the VAR, the Việt Museum, and NorCal UVSA, and will bring History Park to life with dance groups, lion dancers, a marketplace, and fantastic headliners like Minh Tuyet, Jason Chu, EJEAN, and DJ Velma. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to visit the Viêt Museum, which will be running tours throughout the weekend.

After the festival, head over to Vietnam Town for a warm meal and a recap of your day. You will find popular dishes like the signature beef phở at Phở Hà Nội, the elevated bun rieu at the new Bun Bo Hue Song Huong, or share the banh ram it and fresh rolls at Anam Restaurant.

And, if the festival left you needing a refresh, try the delightful egg cream coffee at Tram Cream Coffee or get a fresh juice from Nước Mía Ninh Kiều right next door in the Grand Century Mall. Their sugarcane juice is the perfect pick-me-up and will give you a boost to do some shopping.

Unable to make it to the festival or to Little Saigon this weekend? Tea Lyfe at the Grand Century Mall serves an assortment of tea fusion drinks and Mexican and Vietnamese street food and will be hosting a reception for the opening of LUNAR, their Lunar New Year Art Exhibition on Saturday, February 10 from 12-5pm, with the exhibition running through April 12, 2024. 

Tully Road/Eastridge

The Tully Road/Eastridge corridor comes alive during Lunar New Year with the Têt Festival running February 16-18. The festival brings with it a wash of brightly colored lion dancers, live music, entertainment, competitions such as the Miss Vietnam California Pageant, and carnival rides. And, of course, there will be plenty of food and drink to keep you satisfied while you enjoy all that the festival has to offer. It’s free to enter, and when you need a break, step inside Eastridge Center for some quiet time with kittens at Mini Cat Town or catch a movie at the AMC.

If your favorite part about the holiday is Lunar New Year’s Eve dinner with the family, Com Tam Dat Thanh has been filling families with delicious dặc biệt and bún for decades and is sure to please everyone in your group. We recommend you try the lúc lắc chay if you follow the tradition of giving up meat for the new year.

Just minutes away, you will find Van’s Bakery in the Lion King Plaza. They have lucky red envelopes and will delight you with enough take-home treats to fill all the days of celebration like pineapple tarts and prosperity boxes from Droo the Baker. If you find you didn’t get a chance to preorder the specials, Van’s still has a full selection of macarons, green waffles, and sweet treats that will make your heart sing.

Sometimes, nothing feels more celebratory than cooking at home. So, why not try your hand at making bánh chưng (Vietnamese sticky rice cake)! Đại-Thành Supermarket is just steps away from the festival and has everything you need to make a holiday feast for any size group, including produce, meat, vegetarian meat substitutes, seaweed, and long noodles.

However you celebrate, we wish you a happy and healthy new year.

Explore 11 shopping districts in San José with the Office of Economic Development’s #ShopLocalSJ website and get tips on what defines each of the districts; where to go, what to eat, and the best shopping experiences.