On Saturday, January 24, 2026, hundreds of residents gathered at the newly completed Aurora Town Square in Aurora, Ontario, to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Despite cold and snowy conditions, the event brought the community together to welcome the Year of the Horse with traditional lion dances and family activities. The festival was one of the first major winter cultural gatherings at the newly completed Aurora Town Square since its opening in late 2024.
The celebration was organized by the Town of Aurora’s Special Events team in partnership with the Aurora Cultural Centre. Visitors watched lion dances by the Kwan Lion Dance team and took part in calligraphy workshops inside the Great Hall. The event also used the new outdoor skating loop, where families could skate before crossing the Bridge (the glass-enclosed link) to warm up inside.
The festival was a key part of Aurora Town Square’s winter programming, which aims to keep the downtown area active during the cold months. Mayor Tom Mrakas said the sight of traditional dancing in the square, even in falling snow, shows the space can be active year-round and supports the town’s goal of making the area a destination throughout the year.
While the official start of the Year of the Horse is Feb. 17, 2026, the town scheduled the festival in January to align with its winter calendar. Town operations crews performed extra snow clearing to make performance areas safe after recent storms, and downtown business owners said the event helped bring more people to shops during a typically slow post-holiday period.
