Atlantic Station honors the Year of the Snake with these FREE Lunar New Year festivities — including a festival and nightly lantern shows.
Photo: Atlantic Station
Chinese New Year is also known as Lunar New Year, because it celebrates the beginning of a new year, as based on the traditional lunar calendar. It’s one of the most important festivals in Chinese and East Asian cultures — and a favorite Atlanta tradition.
The first day of the annual 15-day Lunar New Year festival begins on the new moon that appears between Jan. 21st and Feb. 20th — so it’s a variable date, similar to Easter (which is also based on the moon), rather than a fixed date like January first each year.
This year, Chinese Lunar New Year falls on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.
It will ring in the Year of the Snake.
Check out our big list of festivals & events that celebrate Lunar New Year
You may also be interested in:
- Subscribe to our daily newsletter and stay in the know!
- Metro Atlanta area Farmers Markets, listed by day of the week
- Free and cheap things to do this week
- Local daily deals from Groupon
- Atlanta on the Cheap events calendar
Photo courtesy of Atlantic Station
FREE lantern shows at Atlantic Station
Atlantic Station is honoring the Lunar New Year tradition with a set of FREE community experiences on the Atlantic Green.
The property will be decked out with festive decor and tradition, from a magnificent red dragon to mesmerizing lantern shows, between January 21st and February 17th.
There will be plenty of great photo opps, so bring your camera or phone!
Here’s what you can expect to see at Atlantic Station:
♦ A beautifully designed, 90-foot red dragon (the traditional symbol of good fortune) will be surrounded by fog, near the Atlantic Green. The dragon sculpture features over 25,000 lights, according to a press release.
♦ Programmed lantern shows will take place at the top of each hour, from 5 to 9 p.m. each night, featuring nearly 500 lanterns in a dazzling 5-minute display. The automated light shows begin on Jan. 21st and run thru Feb. 17th in 2025.
Photo: Atlantic Station
FREE Lunar New Year festival with Lion Dance performance
On Saturday, February 1, 2025, you can head to the Atlantic Green for a FREE Lunar New Year Festival from 3 to 7 p.m.
The Lion Dance is an important ritual in Chinese tradition. It is believed to bring good luck and drive away evil spirits. You can watch this traditional performance for FREE, on Feb. 1 from 1 to p.m.
It will be followed by a mesmerizing Kung Fu/Tai Chi performance.
Stick around to make symbolic crafts and even sit with a numerologist who will use your birthdate to study energetic influences and offer insight and predictions on your life.
More info on the Festival
Traditional Lion Dance, photo courtesy of Atlantic Station.
Know before you go
Atlantic Station is located at 1380 Atlantic Dr NW, in midtown Atlanta.
As always, you will receive two hours of FREE parking automatically when you visit — and an extra two hours free when you’re seeing a movie.
Atlantic Green is centrally located within the Station.
From the parking garage, the closest staircases are:
• #2 or #6 in the Red section
• #3 or #7 in the Purple section
• #11 in the Green section
• #12 in the Orange section
Curfew notice:
All youth under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian after 3:00 p.m. No individuals under 21 are permitted on property after 9:00 p.m. All guests may be subject to presenting ID to verify age.
Bring the kids for photo opps around the 90-foot long, fog-breathing dragon. Photo: Atlantic Station
Photo: Atlantic Station
More upcoming FREE events:
