Get ready to celebrate Mid-Autumn with a one-day light and lantern festival coming to Calgary’s Chinatown this September.
The festival takes place on Sept. 12, and will include exquisite lights and lanterns in a variety of brilliant colours and forms.
Local vendors and food trucks will also bring the community together in this celebration of Chinese cultural heritage.
What to expect
Hosted by the Calgary Chinatown Business Improvement Area, this one-day event will allow you to revel in the beauty of rich, colourful lights and lanterns.
Taking place from 4 to 11 p.m., there will be plenty of food trucks with food to chow down on. Local vendors will also line the streets between 2nd Avenue SW and Daqing Square, selling a variety of goods.
The event on Sept. 12 will be located west of the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre, a recognizable community gathering point located at 197 1st St. SW, Calgary.
You can expect to enjoy a full day dedicated to honouring Chinese cultural heritage and the vibrant community that calls Calgary home.
Hosted by Chinatown BIA
The Calgary Chinatown Business Improvement Area (BIA) is dedicated to promoting and enhancing one of Calgary’s most vibrant and historic communities.
The group is focused on preserving Chinese cultural heritage while fostering economic growth and community development.
Chinatown has enjoyed an influx of economic development and cultural heritage programs, courtesy of “Tomorrow’s Chinatown“, a plan launched by the City of Calgary to support the neighbourhood’s future as a vibrant area to live, visit, work, and do business.
Chinatown was founded in 1885 but has been in three separate locations in Calgary due to displacement and racial discrimination, which forced the community to move elsewhere as they struggled to set down roots.
In 1920, a group of Chinese businesspeople worked to purchase land on Centre Street South and 2nd Avenue SE, plans which were stalled by anti-Chinese protestors demanding that they relocate.
The establishment of the Chinatown Business Improvement Area, the City of Calgary’s bold vision for community-informed projects building the future for the area, and the resilience of this cultural community have led to celebrations like the lantern festival receiving more support and better attendance than ever before.
It’s bound to be an unforgettable day of cultural heritage and beauty in Calgary’s Chinatown. We can’t wait!
When: Friday, Sept. 12, 2025
Time: 4 to 11 p.m.
Location: Daqing Square — 2nd Avenue SW
Cost: Free
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