Ben Thanh Plaza to Host 2023 Lunar New Year Festival This Weekend in East Arlington

By Office of Communication

Posted on January 18, 2023, January 18, 2023

Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit this weekend at the annual Lunar New Year Celebration at Ben Thanh Plaza in East Arlington. For the Vietnamese New Year, 2023 is represented by the Cat.

The celebration, which is expected to include a Lion Dance, night food market, music and firecrackers, runs from Friday, Jan. 20 through Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023, at Ben Thanh Plaza, located at 1818 E. Pioneer Parkway. The festivities are open to the public.

Ben Thanh Plaza, a 175,000-square-foot shopping center that is a center for social and cultural gatherings, features approximately 50 stores and more than a dozen places to eat.

The Lunar New Year, which begins Sunday, Jan 22 and continues through Feb. 5, embraces the cultures of China, Korea, Vietnam and other countries that observe the lunar calendar. According to 2020 U.S. Census Bureau statistics, more than 26,000 Arlington residents are of Asian descent.