Lunar New Year (Tết) Festival, Vietnamese Community of Florida Pageant returns to Orlando
The 51st annual event will showcase Vietnamese culture, tradition and pageantry from Friday, Jan. 16-19, 2026
OR TET FESTIVAL, IS KICKING OFF ON FRIDAY. THE THREE DAY CELEBRATION SHINES A LIGHT ON VIETNAMESE ARTS, CULTURE AND TRADITIONS. SO JOINING ME THIS MORNING WITH A PREVIEW OF WHAT’S AHEAD AND YOUR INVITATION TO ALL OF IT, OUR Q LEE LEE AND VIVIAN FUNG, THE 2025 MRS. AND MISS VIETNAM FLORIDA. GOOD MORNING. YOU GUYS LOOK ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. I’M GUESSING THIS IS SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL WEAR THAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY HAVE, RIGHT? YES. IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL. LOVE THE CROWDS TOO. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO FIRST OF ALL, ANYONE WHO IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE TET FESTIVAL, WHAT CAN THEY EXPECT? TESS OR LUNAR NEW YEAR IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CELEBRATION IN VIETNAMESE CULTURE. IT’S A TIME FOR NEW BEGINNINGS, HONORING OUR ANCESTORS, FAMILY REUNION AND GRATITUDE. OUR FESTIVAL IS A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO SHARE OUR CULTURE AND TRADITIONAL AND DELICIOUS CUISINE AND FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES WITH THE ENTIRE CENTRAL FLORIDA COMMUNITY. SO WHAT CAN EVERYONE EXPECT IF THEY GO OUT TO THIS FESTIVAL THIS COMING UP WEEKEND? YES. SO SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS IS WE’RE GOING TO BE HAVING DRAGON DANCING. SO WE HAVE LION DANCERS COMING IN AND THEN A LOT OF LIVE SINGING AND DANCING PERFORMANCES. BUT OF COURSE WE ALSO HAVE OUR MISS AND MRS. VIETNAM FLORIDA PAGEANT WHERE WE’RE BRINGING IN THE NEW QUEENS FOR THIS NEW YEAR. OH, THAT’S VERY EXCITING. LOOKING AHEAD. YES, WE ALSO HAVE THE VIETNAMESE IDIOMS CONTEST AND VIETNAMESE TRADITIONAL COSTUME CONTEST AND SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS, AND DIVERSE AND AUTHENTIC VIETNAMESE CUISINE FOODS. YES. AND WHAT KIND OF FOOD CAN SOMEBODY GO IF THEY ENJOY, IF THEY GO THERE? BECAUSE I KNOW THE FOOD ALWAYS BRINGS PEOPLE OUT. YES, WE HAVE LIKE BEEF NOODLE SOUP, SPRING BROWSE OR FRESH FRUITS. YES, ALL KINDS OF THINGS. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE VIETNAMESE CULTURE, BUT WHY IS IT ALSO IMPORTANT? I THINK FOR ALL OF CENTRAL FLORIDA. YEAH. SO THIS HAS BEEN A TRADITION FOR THE ORLANDO COMMUNITY FOR OVER 30 YEARS NOW. AND SO IT’S BEEN BECOME A REALLY BIG PART OF THE CENTRAL FLORIDA COMMUNITY. AND IT’S A GREAT WAY TO SHOWCASE JUST HOW DIVERSE CENTRAL FLORIDA IS TO IT’S REALLY OPEN TO EVERYONE, FREE ADMISSION, AND YOU GET TO SEE A BIG PART OF VIETNAM OUTSIDE OF VIETNAM ITSELF. YEAH, YEAH. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD? YES. SO THIS A WONDERFUL TALK FOR SHARING OUR CULTURE TO ALL THE PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE OUR CULTURE AND TRADITIONS. VIBRANT MUSIC AND FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT. YEAH, I THINK EVERYONE YOU KNOW KNOWS WHERE YOU CAN GO DOWN TO MILWAUKEE COUNTY AND HAVE SOME GREAT FOOD. RIGHT? BUT THIS IS REALLY GETTING TO IMMERSE YOURSELF AND EXPERIENCE WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE LIKE. YEAH, EXACTLY. OKAY. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN SEEING SOME OF THE DANCING, THE COSTUMES AND OF COURSE THE FOOD, WHAT DO PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW? WHEN’S IT HAPPENING? HOW CAN THEY GET MORE INFORMATION? SO THIS YEAR, FESTIVAL HAPPENING THIS WEEK, JANUARY 16TH, 2018 AT CENTRAL FLORIDA FAIRGROUNDS IN ORLANDO. YES. ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 16TH FROM 730 TO 11:30 P.M. AND ON SATURDAY FROM 12:30 P.M. TO MIDNIGHT, AND ON SUNDAY FROM 10 A.M. TO 7:30 P.M. AND CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DRESS THAT YOU’RE WEARING? SO THIS IS THE DRESS WITH THE RED COLOR. YEAH. THIS MEANS LUCKY FOR THE NEW YEAR. AND YEAH, BRING HAPPINESS AND VIBRANCE. ALL THE GOOD THINGS FOR THE NEW YEAR. I LOVE THAT. YES. SO, VIVIAN, WHAT ABOUT YOURS? YEAH. SO I ACTUALLY GOT THIS IN VIETNAM, BUT FOR LUNAR NEW YEAR, YOU TRADITIONALLY WEAR RED OR PINK AND LIKE, WHAT YOU WEAR DURING NEW YEAR’S IS SO IMPORTANT. IT BRINGS A LOT OF LUCK AND IDEAS OF WHAT YOU’RE BRINGING INTO THE NEW YEAR. SO WE TYPICALLY AVOID BLACK AND TRY TO WEAR NEWER CLOTHES. SO AS I KIND OF REPRESENTS PART OF THAT PUT YOU ON THE SPOT. WHAT ABOUT ORANGE? YEAH, IT LOOKS GREAT. BRIGHT VIBRANT ENERGY TO THE NEW YEAR. WOULD YOU TELL ME IF IT WAS NOT BRIGHT IN A GOOD ENERGY? YEAH. I APPRECIATE YOUR HONESTY, LADIES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING IN AND JOINING US. WE’RE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. WE’RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE PUT ALL THE INFORMATION. IF YOU’D LIKE TO JOIN THE LUNAR NEW YEA
Lunar New Year (Tết) Festival, Vietnamese Community of Florida Pageant returns to Orlando
The 51st annual event will showcase Vietnamese culture, tradition and pageantry from Friday, Jan. 16-19, 2026
Updated: 9:47 AM EST Jan 12, 2026
The 51st Annual Lunar New Year Festival and the Miss Vietnamese Community of Florida Pageant are returning to Orlando. The event is hosted by the Vietnamese American Community of Central Florida. Festival highlights include traditional lion dance and cultural performances, live music, Vietnamese traditional costume contests, cuisine and more. The Miss Vietnam and Mrs. Vietnam Florida Pageant competitions will also be held to determine to 2026 queens. Entry and parking are free. Click here to learn more.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
The 51st Annual Lunar New Year Festival and the Miss Vietnamese Community of Florida Pageant are returning to Orlando.
The event is hosted by the Vietnamese American Community of Central Florida.
Festival highlights include traditional lion dance and cultural performances, live music, Vietnamese traditional costume contests, cuisine and more.
The Miss Vietnam and Mrs. Vietnam Florida Pageant competitions will also be held to determine to 2026 queens.
Entry and parking are free.