San Jose's Tet parade and festival celebrate the Vietnamese Lunar New Year
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A parade and festival celebrating Tet, which ushers in the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, kicked off in San Jose Saturday, with the holiday officially beginning on Wednesday.
Hundreds turned out for the festivities.
Lion dance performers from several college organizations ushered in the Tet parade Saturday.
Ruby Chan-Frey, co-captain of UC Berkeley's Vietnamese Student Association, explained the significance of the tradition.
"You're embodying this animal that's supposed to bring good fortune and protection, and you have to be there physically and mentally to bring that, which is energy and animation and strength in your core stances," said Chan-Frey.
After a 15-year hiatus, organizers from the nonprofit Vietnamese American Roundtable and the United Vietnamese Student Association of Northern California hosted the return of the parade.
Philip Nguyen, executive director of the Vietnamese American Roundtable, spoke about the significance of the occasion.
"2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. So many of my generation's parents, grandparents, ancestors came 50 years ago hoping to find a better life in places like America. And for us, what we've seen in the last 10, 15 years is the elder generation is starting to get older, to have less capacity for organizing," Nguyen said.
Nguyen, an organizer, is leading the younger generation in carrying on Lunar New Year traditions. This is the second year of the two-day festival which followed the parade. Hundreds of student volunteers had a hand in the festivities.
"It's definitely about preserving culture and history. As all of us, when we grew up, we always watched the lion dancers when they performed around temples and Lunar New Year festivities, and it's really important to take part and continue that art," said Phillip Tran, a lion dance performer.
The parade on Lucretia Avenue also featured low riders, which are a big part of San Jose's culture.
"We want to make sure we bring the Hispanic culture, the Indian culture, the Chinese culture, and the Vietnamese culture all together," said Bien Doan, San Jose City councilman.
Doan, whose district covers Little Saigon, said he helped get a diverse mix of community and corporate partners to collaborate on the celebration.
"In my campaign and in my previous job as a fire captain, I serve humankind, and I want to make sure that we involve all communities, because this is us, this is our city, and therefore we should not be divisive," Doan said.
The free Tet festival, featuring music, food, entertainment, and a marketplace with Vietnamese goods, will run all weekend long from noon to 8 p.m. at the Grand Century Mall in Little Saigon.