Overview Chinese New Year in the Desert is a three-day Las Vegas Lunar New Year festival that runs from a Shin Lim magic show on the Strip to a free parade of lion and dragon dances down Fremont East. It celebrates Chinese Spring Festival, Vietnamese Tet and Korean Seollal, and Forbes listed it among eight great places in the United States to celebrate Chinese New Year. The festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that started on Fremont Street in 2012; the 2026 edition was its 15th. Jan-Ie Low's Golden Catalyst, a Las Vegas multicultural events agency founded in 2008, produces it. On site The 2026 program ran over three days in February. Thursday was opening night, Shin Lim's The Art of Illusions at The Palazzo Theatre. Friday was the Lunar New Year Gala Dinner at Palette Tea Lounge. Saturday morning the Spring Festival Parade ran through downtown's Fremont East district with lion and dragon dances, floats and costumes, an announcers' stage and limited bleachers at 8th and Fremont. The free after-party followed at Downtown Container Park until 3 p.m., with martial arts, live performances, children's crafts and a dance fitness session led by Nik and Jee. Talent and Influencers Shin Lim is a sleight-of-hand and mentalism magician whose shows the festival says nearly a million people have seen, and his 2026 opening night was a new family show. The 2026 gala honored chef Martin Yan, a James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, along with community honorees Tony Gladney, Janet Chao and Celena DiLullo. Brand presence Each event carries a named partner. In 2026 JAMBA at Harry Reid International Airport hosted the gala, Remy Cointreau poured at it, Uehara Financial and Longevity Planning presented the parade, and Downtown Container Park was the venue sponsor for the after-party. East West Bank, Diversity Gaming Solutions and the City of Las Vegas were also partners. The festival sells a title position on opening night with Shin Lim, then Jade, Gold, Silver, Community and parade after-party levels. It was named an official America250 community partner in 2026 and was an official Nevada 150 partner.