Lao New Year Festival

A cultural celebration of the Lao New Year with food, drinks, and live entertainment

Organized by Buena Park-based Mahoran, the Lao New Year Festival was a one-day celebration of Laotian culture and food, offering attendees a dozen or so booths worth of shopping and snacking with live music and performances. The event was last held in 2022 at an Elks Lodge in Garden Grove.

While there were many interesting booths to visit, there were some logistical issues. The top challenge was super long waits for food – enough that it was worth starting with dried snacks, or (ironically) bringing something to eat or drink while waiting to order and have items prepared.

Local vendors including Tharathip, Laomazing Eats and Vanntastic Sweets offered Lao lettuce wraps, sour sausages, sweet chili jerky, BBQ steak, crispy rice cakes and mango sticky rice, macarons (Butterfinger! Cherry blossom!), and lychee bursting boba drinks.

The Lao New Year Festival was held in late May, and we wish this event was still ongoing. Separate events called Lao Cultural New Year Celebration (May, Fresno), Lao Food Fest (August, Fresno) and Lao Food Festival (June, San Diego) are the closest alternatives.

Stats

Price: $-$$
Service: Booth

Addresses

Garden Grove Elks Lodge 1952
11551 Trask Ave.
Garden Grove, CA 92843

Instagram: @mahoranorg