Thousands Celebrate Year of the Horse at Tết Festival at Golden West College
- Richard Chang and Paul Rodriguez
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
PHOTO STORY: Vietnamese Lunar New Year gathering returns to the Huntington Beach campus for the first time since 2013.
More than 20,000 people attended the 44th annual UVSA Tết Festival, held this past weekend at Golden West College in Huntington Beach. Organized by the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California, this Tết Festival is recognized as one of the largest – if not the largest – Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebrations in the country.
Attendees dressed in their finest áo dài – traditional and colorful Vietnamese garments often made of silk chiffon fabrics – as performers danced in lion and dragon costumes, firecrackers exploded and people of all ages enjoyed singing onstage and eating pho and other Vietnamese foods in contests and from booths through the weekend.
This Lunar New Year – which actually lands on Tuesday, Feb. 17 – celebrates the year of the fire horse, representing energy, transformation and forward momentum in the Chinese zodiac. The theme at the UVSA Tết Festival this year was “Lá Xuân Về Nguồn,” or “Spring From Our Roots.”
As in previous years, there was a Miss Vietnam of Southern California pageant, and the queen was Tammy Văn Lê Hoàng Trân.
After a trial run at Garden Grove Park last year, and about a decade at the OC Fairgrounds before that, the UVSA Tết Festival returned to Golden West College for the first time since 2013. Throughout the weekend, visitors posed for pictures in front of decorated archways, Lunar New Year props and at stations in the traditional Cultural Village. The words “Chúc mừng năm mới” – Vietnamese for “happy new year” – were emblazoned on booths and were shared by emcees, singers and attendees alike.
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Other Lunar New Year events that are coming up include the Westminster Tết Parade on Saturday, Feb. 21 and Pacific Symphony’s 10th annual Lunar New Year Concert, also on Feb. 21. The latter event starts at 8 p.m. at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa.
PHOTO GALLERY
The following photos were taken at the 2026 USVA Tết Festival held at Golden West College in Huntington Beach on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. All photos by Paul Rodriguez, Culture OC.
Celebrating in áo dài
Many attendees wore traditional áo dài to the festival. On Saturday, guests who arrived in the traditional dress received free admission between noon and 1 p.m.
HONORING ANCESTORS
LION DANCERS
Traditional Activities in the Cultural Village
IncLUDING THE KIDS
VENDORS AND FOOD
