Chinese New Year 2022 – Year of the Tiger

Looking to celebrate the Chinese New Year? Here are some highlights of events and celebrations going on around town.

Aria

Aria’s main lobby is adorned in celebratory décor to honor the Year of the Tiger. The focal point is a 5-foot by 3.5-foot hand-sculpted solid chocolate tiger, weighing in at 22 pounds. Three Chinese deity sculptures – Fuk, Luk, and Sau – greet guests on checking in at the front desk. A 196-foot dragon hangs from the lobby’s ceiling near a money tree made up of 88 golden coins symbolizing wealth and good fortune. Cherry-blossom clouds and lanterns surround the dragon with decorative twinkling LED cherry blossom trees below. Colorful dragon and lion dances will take place on February 4th at 6 p.m. at the main porte cochère.

Bellagio

The Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens has opened their annual Chinese New Year display, “The Eye of the Tiger.” Comprising more than 5,700 plants, the four sections of the Conservatory are centered around children, the lotus, a sage, and an 8,000-pound tiger. The display also features 370 I-Ching coins on a money tree, 100 bonsai trees, 40 koi fish in the pond, and three tigers, one with a 30-foot long tail. You’ll see golden cherry-blossom branches symbolizing durability and rebirth. The Chinese New Year display runs through March 5. The Bellagio will also be featuring dragon and lion dances in the main porte cochère on February 5th at 3 p.m.

City Center

The Shops at Crystals hosts a display of a 25-foot-tall and 55-foot-long custom-designed Golden Dragon adorned with 28,000 LED lights that shine throughout the shopping esplanade.

Cosmopolitan 

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will ring in the Year of the Tiger with a traditional lion and dragon dance on February 5th at 3 p.m. Throughout the performance, dancers will stop at several locations throughout the procession to partake in the lucky lettuce-eating ceremony. The Cosmopolitan will offer culturally inspired food and beverage specials at participating restaurants. 

Cowabunga Bay Water Park

The family-friendly Festival of Lanterns, which marks the end of the Chinese New Year, is the largest Chinese Lantern Festival in Las Vegas. The festival will be open at Cowabunga Bay on January 28, 29, 30, and February 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 5-9 p.m. Tickets are $21.95 for children 4 to 11 years old and $25.95 for guests over 12, or purchase a family pack of 4 tickets for $60. The lantern festival will have enchanted illuminations, food and drink offerings, and performances from 7 to 7:30 p.m. each night. 

Downtown Las Vegas/Fremont Street Experience

Fremont Street kicks off its annual Lunar New Year Parade on Saturday February 5th at the Fremont East Entertainment District. The free parade, featuring floats, elaborate costumes, and traditional lions, will go from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The parade starts at Fourth Street and Gass Avenue and heads north on Fourth Street to Ogden, where it concludes. 

Downtown Summerlin

From February 1st through 15th, guests can enjoy Year of the Tiger décor around the Downtown Summerlin shopping center. Throughout the two-week celebration, a “red-envelope giveaway” will be running for guests to participate in. Those who enter will have the chance to receive a free red envelope filled with chocolate coins and surprise gift cards (while supplies last). The parade will take place on February 1 at 6 p.m. on Park Centre Drive, which will feature performances by fan dancers, an oversized dragon, and more.

Fashion Show Mall Las Vegas

The Fashion Show Mall has been transformed into a Lunar New Year exhibition, with immersive décor throughout the center. From February 1st through 15th, several retailers are providing exclusive discounts and offers. Visit the mall’s website to see participating stores.

Forum Shops at Caesars Palace

Caesars Palace has installed a 950-pound LED presentation of a tiger, in celebration of Chinese New Year. The 22-foot-long, 6-foot wide, and 12-foot-high high illuminated dragon is displayed in the Fortuna Terrace at the entrance of The Forum Shops near the interior casino of Caesars Palace and will be on display from January 16th through the end of February. 

LINQ Promenade

The world’s tallest observation wheel, the High Roller, will be lit up in red, orange, and yellow on February 1st to mark the start of Chinese New Year festivities. Enjoy the High Roller light and music show every half-hour starting at 6:30 p.m.

MGM Grand

MGM Grand will transform into a Lunar New Year celebration from January 28th through February 15th. With displays of floral décor and panda bears surrounding the front desk, MGM Grand’s iconic lion will be encircled by bright florals, live plants and trees, and red lanterns. The resort will be adorned with yellow and red flowers, money trees, and banners offering blessings of wealth and good fortune. Dragon and lion dances will take place on February 6th at 3 p.m. at the main porte cochère. Select restaurants will have specialty menus and cocktails; please see MGM’s website for participating establishments. 

Palace Station

Palace Station will be hosting a traditional lion dance on February 1st at 7 p.m. It will begin at the North Valet entrance and roam the entire casino floor.

Rampart Casino

In honor of Chinese New Year, the Rampart will perform a traditional lion dance on February 4th at 9 p.m., which will take place all throughout the casino. They will also be hosting a “$5 Elite Chip Giveaway” on February 1st from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., where elite members can swipe their player’s card at the kiosk for a ticket, good for one free $5 commemorative chip, which is theirs to keep or play at any table game.

Red Rock Resort

The Red Rock Resort will be hosting a traditional lion dance on February 5th at 8 p.m. It will begin at Blue Ribbon Sushi and will roam throughout the entire casino floor. 

Resorts World

Resorts World will honor the Year of the Tiger with its first property-wide Lunar New Year celebration. On February 1st, the Famous Foods Street Eats stage will kick off the Lunar New Year celebration with lion blessings, martial arts, Chinese singers, folk dancers, and a cultural fashion show. The stage will host daily performances from 6 to 7:30 p.m. from January 28th through February 4th. At The District at Resorts World, the 50-foot LED globe will feature Lunar New Year-themed animations of blossoming money trees with branches that grow gold coins and lucky red envelopes. The resort will host an extravagant dragon and lion dance on February 5th at 5 p.m. Those looking for an exciting way to ring in the Year of the Tiger can also celebrate at Zouk Nightclub. Many restaurants will feature specialty menus and cocktails; visit the Resorts World website for participating restaurants. 

Venetian / Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian

The Venetian Resort’s waterfall atrium and gardens have once again been transformed for the Lunar New Year. The resort’s floral and horticulture team worked with artisans and a feng shui master to create the Year of the Tiger installation, which features a tiger that stands 10 feet tall, is 13 feet long, and weighs 1,500 pounds. It is recommended that guests walk clockwise 3 times around the lion display to bring blessings of heaven, Earth, and mankind. The Venetian will officially kick off Lunar New Year with a ceremonial lion dance on February 1st, at 3 p.m., beginning at the main porte cochère. Participating restaurants will have specialty menus and cocktails; please see their website for more information. 

The Grand Canal Shoppes hosts the Awakened Dragon Exhibit through February 20th at the Level 2 Luxury Wing, between Louis Vuitton and Kate Spade New York. Be sure to also check out the interactive Lantern Wonderland Exhibit at Smith & Wollensky through February 20th. At St. Mark’s Square, from February 1st through February 6th (daily 3-3:15 p.m.), dancers will make their way throughout the square performing a traditional fan dance that has been part of China’s heritage for 2,000 years. They will also host a lion blessing, to wish new restaurants and retailers good fortune in the new year, on February 1st from 3 to 5 p.m.

Wynn and Encore

The Wynn and Encore welcome guests with sculptures in their lobbies, symbolizing the Year of the Tiger. There are two eight-foot golden dragons that will spread good luck to visitors outside. The Wynn main atrium will feature 45-foot long silk dragons hanging above 7,000 vibrant begonias, mums, and calandiva flowers and 60 tangerine trees. Lunar New Year decorations also adorn the Wynn and Encore atriums and throughout the resorts to wish celebrators a healthy and prosperous New Year.