Lunar New Year parades and gatherings took place in Westminster, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and other cities. Culture OC photographer Paul Rodriguez documents the City of Westminster 2025 Tet Parade.

Thousands gathered Saturday morning along Bolsa Avenue in Westminster as the city hosted the annual Tet Parade in Little Saigon. While the grandiose, colorful parade – featuring floats, marching bands, lion and dragon dancers, color guards, veterans, youth organizations and local politicians – has been centered in Little Saigon for the past two decades, it’s only been an official city of Westminster presentation for the past couple of years.
Orange County is the home of the largest population of Vietnamese outside of Vietnam, and thousands showed up dressed in their elegant ao dai, waving to onlookers or participants and celebrating the Lunar New Year, which was officially Jan. 29, but in many Asian cultures continues through Feb. 8. This new year is the year of the snake – which carries both positive and negative connotations in Asian cultures.
This year is particularly symbolic, as it is the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. During that tumultuous April 1975 period, tens of thousands of Vietnamese fled their home country and emigrated across the world, many winding up in Southern California and Orange County – which they still call home today.
Among the special events during the Westminster parade was a 25th anniversary reaffirmation of vows between Tam and Christie Nguyen, administered by Hugh Nguyen, the Orange County clerk recorder. Speeches were delivered and fireworks punctuated the end of the gathering.
The parade was broadcast around the world via public access television.
Elsewhere in Orange County, tens of thousands of residents – and folks from neighboring counties – celebrated Lunar New Year over the weekend. The Union of Vietnamese Student Associations held its 41st annual UVSA Tet Festival, relocating to Garden Grove Park after 10 years at the OC Fair & Event Center. The three-day celebration included lion and dragon dancing, a Miss Vietnam of Southern California contest, pho eating contests, live music, dance competitions and plenty of vendors.
Santa Ana held its second annual Tet Festival at Centennial Park, with cultural performances, live entertainment and drumming. The Anaheim Ducks’ mascot Wild Wing made a special appearance there.
Pacific Symphony presented its annual Lunar New Year celebration at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. It was a festive evening of Eastern and Western music and dance, featuring pianist Joyce Yang, guzheng player Bei Bei Monter, erhu player Yang Liu, the Yaya Dance Academy, the American Feel Young Chorus, Pacific Symphony and Pacific Chorale.
All in all, it was a festive and auspicious launch to the Year of the (Wood) Snake, which symbolizes harvest, spirituality and good fortune, according to the South China Morning Post. – Richard Chang
PHOTO GALLERY
The following photos were taken at the City of Westminster 2025 Tet Parade in Westminster on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. All photos by Paul Rodriguez, Culture OC
The Vietnamese Culture Takes Center Stage








Every Parade Needs a Marching Band



Honoring Veterans is A Key Part of the Parade





The GreatER community Participates in the Parade








SPECTATORS
