Dear Community,

We want to share an important update about Lunar New Year: San José 2026 (LNYSJ).

After much reflection and discussion, the Vietnamese American Roundtable (VAR) and the United Vietnamese Student Associations of Northern California (NorCal UVSA) have made the difficult but thoughtful decision to postpone Lunar New Year: San José 2026.

This decision was not made lightly. Over the past few months, we’ve taken a close look at our organizational capacity, funding environment, and community needs. Like many nonprofits, we are navigating an uncertain future landscape and limited resources that make hosting an event of this size unsustainable in the coming year. In addition to that, the search for our home venue continues to be a struggle with availability and safety being our number one priority for our vendors and attendees. 

Rather than move forward with a smaller version that doesn’t reflect the true spirit and vision of LNY: SJ, we’ve chosen to pause, reflect, and reinvest in our people and mission.

We see this not as a setback, but as an opportunity to regroup and strengthen our foundation for the future. Our goal is to return in 2027 with a stronger, more sustainable, and community-driven celebration that honors our culture and our collective efforts.

During this time, we will:

• Conducting a financial review to forge a return path. 

• Work with partners and sponsors to repurpose and scale activities for community impact in 2026.

• Begin planning for a renewed and sustainable festival model for 2027 and beyond.

• Find a permanent home for our festival in the San Jose area.

We know how much this celebration means to our community — for many, it’s not just a festival, but a reflection of who we are and what we’ve built together. We are deeply grateful for your trust, participation, and continued support through this transition.

Thank you for standing with us, for believing in our mission, and for helping us build a future where our community’s stories, culture, and leadership continue to thrive. We invite you to explore the other impactful work our organization is leading to advance our mission. 

With gratitude and solidarity,
The Lunar New Year: San José Planning Team
Vietnamese American Roundtable (VAR) & NorCal UVSA